Dusi paddler death confirmed

Jordaan, a well-known Durban dentist, started the second stage in G batch with experienced fellow Stella Canoe Club paddler Neels Meyer at 07h55 before getting into difficulty at a rapid near Big Bend Rapid, about seven kilometres from the headwater of Inanda Dam.

Jordaan and Meyer’s boat hit a rock and the pair got into difficulty.

Meyer managed to get out of their boat. However, Jordaan became entrapped and was forced under water for approximately three minutes.

Paddlers rallied together and did everything possible to assist Jordaan, and assisted Meyer to extract Jordaan from the river and notified a paramedic just downstream of the incident.

One of the paddlers who stopped to help managed to attract the attention of a safety helicopter that Dusi General Manager Brett Austen Smith was traveling in.

The marathon's Brett Austen Smith says Jordaan was an extremely experienced paddler as he had done 19 Dusis.

''The paddler was paddling in a K2 and both of the paddlers were extremely experienced. The paddler who has passed away had done 19 Dusis already.

''They got into difficulty when hitting a rock in the river and unfortunately he was trapped in his boat. And we then dispatched the race helicopter together with an advanced life support and a doctor but unfortunately they couldn't resuscitate him,'' he said.

Jordaan’s family were notified of the incident.

“This is a tragedy that has shaken the Dusi to the core,” he added.

Austen Smith has thanked the race participants who stopped to assist.

The Dusi Canoe Marathon race organisers send their sincere condolences to Jordaan’s family, friends and Meyer and ask the paddling fraternity to join them in offering their full support to Jordaan’s loved ones during this time.

(File photo)