Well Known Kayaker Dies

An expert kayaker from Portland, Oregon died over the weekend in Tuolumne County.

The Sheriff’s Office reports that 28-year-old Allen Michael Satcher was with a group that was kayaking down Cherry Creek, a stretch of water that eventually goes into the Tuolumne River. Satcher became caught in some type of a whirlpool causing his kayak to spin in circles.

Satcher then jumped into the water but could not escape the whirlpool. He went under, and one of the group members swam down and placed a rope around him so he could be pulled out. CPR was attempted unsuccessfully for around 30 minutes.

“This area is very popular with kayakers, but the water is still very high and fast, and very dangerous even for the expert” says Sgt. Jeff Wilson of the Sheriff’s Office. “In the kayak world, this person was apparently very famous.”

Satcher had written numerous articles about the sport. The drowning was reported at 9:54am on Sunday.