Hanover Accident

[Jack Tarlin]

I just finished reading a very sad story in our local newspaper, the Valley News. A 21-year old Dartmouth student drowned in the Connecticut River last night, near the Ledyard Bridge, the bridge that hikers cross in order to get to Hanover or Norwich, VT.

It should be stressed to anyone planning to visit Hanover that swimming anywhere near this bridge is very dangerous, as apparently there's all sorts of junk (scrap metal, wire, etc.) in the water and it's fairly easy to get snagged on something. This incident happened around 2:30 last night and they still haven't recovered the body.

Many hikers swim near the Connecticut River bridge and some have been known to dive off it. This is a REALLY dangerous thing to do, and people need to be aware of the risks. Some hikers also make a "tradition" of jumping off the bridge in nearby West Hartford, VT; this is also a dangerous and stupid thing to do, as several people have been seriously injured doing this.

There are places where one can safely swim in the Connecticut River, but near the Ledyard Bridge is NOT one of them.

Also: It appears that the victim tired while attempting to swim all the way across the river; I've seen hikers attempting the same stunt here, as well as at other places along the Trail, usually across ponds. Hikers should NOT attempt this sort of thing unless they are very strong swimmers.

[Sly]

Maybe I'm missing something, but if they haven't recovered the body, how do they know a student drowned.

[Heater]

Maybe I'm missing something, but if they haven't recovered the body, how do they know a student drowned.

I agree.

While it is very likely that this is what happened we should not jump to conclusions and take a chance at spreading rumors and untruths based upon conjecture. After all, we only have one news account to base our opinions on as to what acually happened. A full investigation has not been completed so we should reserve our opinions until all the facts are in as concluded by the local law enforcement authoritys involved in the investigation of this matter.

I think the original post and any posts that contain anything but the absolute, concrete, balls on facts should be DELETED immediately.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

[smokymtnsteve]

that they wuz swimming after drinking some of that ole demon alkyhol ????

bet there has been some folks jump off of that bridge after having a few!!

[Mountain Dew]

geez, maybe a WITNESS saw him drown you know. Do you really need the body to say that this college kid drown if there were witnesses ? I don't see the newspaper claiming that he drown if they aren't 100% possitive that it happened.

[smokymtnsteve]

well how some this supposswed witness that POSSIBLY saw a drwoning didn't jump in and try to save the 'victim"????

plus how so we know it the cause of death to be drowning..could have beena heart attack or other cause,,,,we do not have clinical evidence yet, we cannot prove water in the lungs,

guess this thread will be moved THICK SKINNED ANYMINUTE NOW.

Plus was this person even a AT hiker....

thread should aleast be in "other NON at talk"

[MOWGLI]

According to this article, the student did not jump off of the bridge.

Student may have drowned participating in local tradition

August 13, 2005, 1:08 PM EDT

HANOVER, N.H. -- A 21-year-old Bulgarian student who apparently drowned in the Connecticut River may have been participating in a Dartmouth student tradition known as the Ledyard Challenge.

Divers continued on Saturday to search the river for the body of Valentine Valkov, a student from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., who was participating in a summer program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He disappeared early Friday morning while trying to swim across the Connecticut River and is presumed drowned, according to Hanover police and college officials.

The tradition of swimming naked across the river is well known to Dartmouth students and to police who say they see the ritual throughout the summer.

"It's almost a nightly occurrence," Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaccone told the Valley News.

One woman told a reporter she saw a group of about 15 students who'd been out drinking preparing for the "Ledyard Challenge" by the bridge.

Iden Sinai, 20, a junior from Tampa, Fla., explained that the Dartmouth tradition arose because it's legal to be naked in Vermont but not in New Hampshire.

"The challenge is to get to Vermont naked (by running over the Ledyard Bridge), then swim back and get your clothes on before you get in trouble. It's more just a giddy thrill than anything else," Sinai said.

Police began their efforts to locate Valkov shortly after Hanover police were called to the scene at 2:21 a.m. on Friday. Divers from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department began their search just after 9 a.m.

Police said they believe Valkov entered the water naked on the Norwich side of the river, and swam nearly two-thirds of the way across the river near Ledyard Bridge before disappearing just after 2 a.m.

Police said they may end the search Saturday because of poor search conditions.

"It's very dangerous," Giaccone said. "Visibility is about one hand. They're on the bottom just touching and feeling. It's so difficult out there, they could have just passed right over" the body.

One diver got caught in an old cable underwater on Friday, said Fish and Game Sgt. Brian Suttmeier, who aided the divers from a boat. "When they get hung up on the bottom, I tell you, it's scary for us," Suttmeier said.

Because Valkov's parents do not speak English, Tuck School staff had to search out the Bulgarian wife of a second-year Tuck student to translate the news of Valentine Valkov's apparent drowning, said Tuck spokeswoman Kim Keating.

"We're pretty fortunate that accidents like this don't happen more often," said Raina Hammel, a junior from Girdwood, Alaska. "There's a lot of drinking that goes on. It's a wake-up call, for sure."



Information from: Lebanon Valley News, http://www.vnews.com

[Heater]

geez, maybe a WITNESS saw him drown you know. Do you really need the body to say that this college kid drown if there were witnesses ?

Well, no. I guess you could use common sense and conjecture. Tha's why I said "While it is very likely that this is what happened we should not jump to conclusions and take a chance at spreading rumors and untruths based upon conjecture".

I don't see the newspaper claiming that he drown if they aren't 100% possitive that it happened.

The original post said,
"I just finished reading a very sad story in our local newspaper, the Valley News. A 21-year old Dartmouth student drowned in the Connecticut River last night, near the Ledyard Bridge..."

Now, I didn't read the actual news reoprt but that is what was reported here on WB.

I accordance with the latest set of guidelines set forth by an administrator of this site in response to the complaints of a few of the users herein, we should ALL try to comply with the new procedures so as not to perpetuate any misinformation that might inadvertantly hurt others reading these postings.
After all, there has already been one post staing that the 'ol demon alcyhol" might have been to blame.

Thank you for your cooperation in the sensitive issue.

[Lone Wolf]

Yup. Drinkin was involved. Just like most bad s**t that happens after midnite on a weekend.

[Heater]

Yup. Drinkin was involved. Just like most bad s**t that happens after midnite on a weekend.

...and nearly all of the good s**t.

It's a trade off, ya know. Besides most of the bad s**t happens to those in their 20's to mid 30's. Wonder why that is?

[Sly]

Common sense injected here...

Sounds like the only good thing Mountain Dew is going to be for in his new job is writing out parking tickets.

Have a donut!

[Jack Tarlin]

Austexs--

My original post was not merely based on one newspaper story; it was based on several; it was also based on conversations I had with several journalists as well as with several Hanover police officers who'd been up all night searching for the missing student and investigating the details of the incident.

It was their considered opinion that he had drowned.

So if, as you seem to think, I was spreading rumors, untruths, and conjectures, please blame someone else other than me. I was merely reporting what had been told to me personally by local reporters and law enforcement authorities.

All I was attempting to do was point out some unsafe places and unsafe practices in these parts involving rivers and bridges. Folks have been hurt or killed on these rivers in recent years and it's important that people know about these things.

[MOWGLI]

Based on the fact that the Chief of Police says that swimming in the river is "almost a nightly occurrence", I would suggest that it is not all that dangerous an activity, unless of course you are intoxicated or can't swim.

Any way you slice it, it's a sad situation.

Call me cynical, but... I can't help but wonder if the original post has something to do with a certain individual and his tradition of jumping off of the bridge at The Gathering.

[Jack Tarlin]

Yeah, you're cynical.

And you're wrong.

This has to do with the fact that a young man died doing something foolish; this swimming stunt is also something that hikers have tried in the past; I merely wanted to point this out to people in order to prevent a similar tragedy, either here or anywhere else.

If you want to read more into my post other than what I said, Mowgli, that's entirely your privilege.

It's also your privilege to go swim in the Connecticut.

Have a nice day.

[TakeABreak]

Here is my $.02 worth, the reason a lot of people in the 20's and 30's die, while drinking, is they think they are invinceable. Plus, you do not have to drink to have fun at any age, if it is so, for any individual then you have a bigger problem than just your drinking.

Also, it is possible to see someone drowning and not jump in to try and save them. When I was a teenager I was very lean, a very good swimmer and worked at sod farm all summer slinging and laying sod, so I was very physically strong. One weekend I was out with my older brother and a bunch of friends, he was 17 I was 15, we were out swimming. Most of us were physically tired, from a long day of playing baseball and swimming, to include me.

My older brother wanted to go swim across a small river, I told him several times no I was too tired and knew I would not make it, he admitted he was very tired too, but still wanted to go across it. I told him no several more times, he, being the person he is (always thinking he had to try and prove something, and it would be o.k.) got part way across and started to cramp and drown, I was too tired to help and knew if I tried, I would drown too, So I began to look for something to throw to him. In the mean time, a couple of the other guys (who were even better swimmers than me and not so tired) jumped in and were barely able to save him.

I got a lot of criticism from a lot of people about that, to include my parents, I guess they like smokymountainsteve "well how some this supposswed witness that POSSIBLY saw a drwoning didn't jump in and try to save the 'victim"????" thinks it would be better for everyone to drown, in trying to save someone who is too ignorant to listen to their bodies and / or good sound logic. If you are to tired or not a good enough swimmer to go in after someone the best thing you can do is try and help some other way.

Just because one person thinks that no matter what stupid stunt they pull everything will be alright, doesn't mean you or I or anyone else has to kill themselves or risk their lives trying to save that person, from their own ignorance and stupidity.

[MOWGLI]

You know, if it was as hot in Hanover as it is in Chattanooga, I probably would go for a swim in the river. But, I am a very strong swimer, and I no longer drink alcohol.

My heart goes out to the family. They send their 21 year old kid from Bulgaria to the US to get an Ivy League education and he goes home in a casket. Its a parents worst nightmare. Very sad indeed.

[Lone Wolf]

Most are followers. Not leaders.

[TOW]

I accordance with the latest set of guidelines set forth by an administrator of this site in response to the complaints of a few of the users herein, we should ALL try to comply with the new procedures so as not to perpetuate any misinformation that might inadvertantly hurt others reading these postings.
After all, there has already been one post staing that the 'ol demon alcyhol" might have been to blame.

Thank you for your cooperation in the sensitive issue.

What a bunch of horselip....perhaps you didn't catch the go between sgt rock and attroll? this matter has been resolved.......

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Prayers for the young man's family. It is tragic.

[Rancid]

Thanks for the warning, actually a reminder Jack. I swim and lounge in the Delaware River quite often about 10 miles north of the AT bridge. It looks like a short distance across, but the current is swift in the middle. I saw a young man swim across but got washed down towards the rapids below very quickly. He made it to the other side ok, but exausted. He ended up walking upriver where it was more placid and an island in the middle, so he was able to wade/swim over with a rest in the middle. When he finally returned to his friends, he was tired and embarrassed, so he sat down on a cooler and had another beer!?