In early March, Michigan paddler Kevin Miller had a close call while kayaking in the ice-filled Muskegon River with his friend Joe Miller (no relation). Kevin was in an open-cockpit Old Town Loon 126 kayak with a nylon Seals sprayskirt when shifting ice capsized his kayak. Instantly, the current swept him under a sheet of solid ice.
“Before I could react, I was sucked under the ice,” Kevin wrote in a Facebook post that quickly went viral. “I was trapped under the ice for about 45 seconds and moved 40 to 60 feet downstream.” Kevin says those few seconds were the longest of his life. He scratched and pounded at the ice trapping him below the surface, but it was no use. The sheet was at least six inches thick. As his breath ran out Kevin says he accepted the situation. That’s when he saw above and realized that he’d surfaced. The current had spit him out from under the layer of ice, and his life jacket brought him to the surface. Within seconds Joe was there with a bow rescue.
“Joe managed a perfect shot, pushing his kayak right into my hands so I could steady myself,” Kevin wrote in the post, which received more than 400 comments – some celebrating his narrow escape, others scolding his decision-making, and just about everyone commenting on his good fortune.
Kevin couldn’t agree more. When Paddling Life caught up with Kevin after the accident, he admitted he was extremely lucky to have survived. He counts it as a learning experience – one that he is happy to share so that fellow paddlers can learn from his bone-chilling escape.
Behind the Incident and What He Learned:
Name/Age: Kevin Miller, 53
How experienced a paddler are you? I started kayaking at 8 but only picked it back up seriously in the last 10 or 15 years.
What section were you on and how long was your planned paddle? My friend Joe and I were on the Muskegon River between Sears and Evart [a paddle of about 12 miles]. We had anticipated it taking around three hours as the water was moving at a good pace.
What were you thinking in the moment? It was great, until it wasn’t. We were having a great time and had lots of open water for a good portion of the trip. But it changed very quickly, and I realized very quickly as it was happening that I was going into the water. I was attempting to get onto an ice sheet but was unable to and got dumped out of my kayak.
Is there anything you and your party did that helped save you? Everyone staying calm was key, including myself, Joe, and some strangers on the shore who helped. Keeping everyone else out of the water was super important also. And definitely, I had lots of luck.
Can you tell us a bit more about your rescue? When I went into the water, I was immediately pulled under the ice. Then I traveled about 60 feet or so under the ice and underwater, until I had decided I just about couldn’t do it anymore. I had been underwater for at least 45 seconds. Once I came out from under the ice, I was a little beaten up, but Joe, who was up on the ice sheet across from me, pushed his kayak perfectly right to me.
I used his kayak to get myself to the shore, where the people on shore had been watching the whole thing. As I reached the bank of the river, a gentleman gave me his arm and pulled me out of the water and up onto the bank. When I was taken to the ambulance, my body temperature was still 98.2⁰ F, which was amazing after close to 10 minutes in the water.
Were there any warning signs of bad ice that you might have missed? Not really, but I learned that churning ice and pockets are much more dangerous than they look, especially when the river is running fast.
Were you dressed for the conditions? Unfortunately, I wasn’t wearing a dry suit or wetsuit. I had on Scuba boots, an Arctic base layer, waterproof pants, baselayer shirt, and hoodie paddling jacket. I also had an inflatable PFD. It opened automatically just as I was pulled under the ice.
Any advice for others paddling in the shoulder season? First off, dress for immersion, with a drysuit, which I will be getting before heading out again. Also make sure to wear a proper PFD. And if in doubt, stay off the water if it is churning pieces of ice the size of a car.
What else did you learn from the experience? I guess the most important take-aways are to always make sure to be properly outfitted, including a drysuit, appropriate base layers, a PFD, and dry clothes in a dry bag. Also, have a solid plan in place for if things go south, and know when to portage—which would have stopped us from getting into trouble. And if something does happen, try to stay calm.
Kevin’s Original Facebook Post
I wanted to share the story of a recent kayaking adventure that was unlike any other.
We entered the water and the river was absolutely beautiful and we were off. It started with an incredible experience of floating on an iceberg for nearly 25 minutes. As the ice began to break up, we slid back into the water exactly as planned. However, while maneuvering the next area, my kayak was caught in churning water. Despite my efforts to stay upright and reach a sheet of ice where Joe was positioned, a surge of large ice pieces hit my kayak and dumped me into the water.
Before I could react, I was sucked under the ice. My inflatable PFD deployed, but I lost my glasses in the process. I was trapped under the ice for about 45 seconds and moved 40–60 feet downstream. It was the longest yet fastest 45 seconds of my life. I tried to break through the 6-8″ of ice wherever I saw light, but it was impossible.
Just as I reached the point where I could no longer hold my breath and had accepted the situation, I saw light above me. I reached up and realized I had surfaced. Joe and some bystanders on the shore were screaming that I was out. Joe managed a perfect shot, pushing his kayak right into my hands so I could steady myself. I held on and swam toward the shore, while making sure Joe and the others stayed out of the water for their own safety.
A bystander helped pull me onto the shore and up a hill to safety. EMS arrived shortly after to assess me. Miraculously, my only injuries were some abrasions to my face, bruised hands from fighting the ice, and a few bumps on my head that required three staples. I was taken to a local hospital, where they used a Bear Hugger to warm me up, and I was released a few hours later. All in all, it was an amazing day and I am incredibly grateful to be here.