Sunday, August, 10, 2008Sad and devastating news came early one morning when I heard that Ben Earle from Australia drowned after being vertically pinned under a log on Finn Creek in British Columbia, Canada, June 1, 2008. Adrian Kiernan was on the run with Ben and attempted to rescue Ben, but to no avail. Ben’s body was eventually extracted after two days of effort by local rescue teams. Ben leaves behind a large community of friends across the world, his wife Robin and their two young children Rio and Finnley.
It is a sobering reality that our sport is dangerous and always demands a high level of safety and respect for the rivers we travel. I have paddled with, and have worked along side Ben and his close friends and know their high level of professionalism and passion for the rivers they work and explore on. Ben Earle was a respected athlete on our
WRSI Team, and I speak personally from the company when I send my heart felt regards to his family and friends.
Ben’s family live in Clearwater, BC, where last year he helped organize the first Clearwater Festival.This years Clearwater Kayak Festival was a celebration dedicated to the memory of Ben Earle. Click here for updated 2008 festival highlights. (
http://www.clearwaterkayakfest.com/)
Kim Ward-Robberts (
WRSI Team Manager)
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Ben Earle 1982 – 2008------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adrian Kiernan, a friend and fellow Australian Team Fluid Paddler wrote up an amazing article about the incident, and Ben Earle’s life. Please visit Adrian Kiernan’s personal blog for more information (
http://www.goboatingaus.blogspot.com/) and read below for his thoughts .Photo’s courtesy of Maggie Crocker
(Ben Earle and Adrian Kiernan)
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Below is an article Tasmanian paddler and close friend James Thorp wrote and photo’s courtesy of Josh Firth.
I first met Ben many years ago at a paddling festival in Tasmania. At the time Ben was drunk, wearing a dress and dancing on the pool table in the Bronte pub. We were both young then; Ben had just started kayaking and rafting. Over the years Ben grew into a great individual. He became a talented kayaker, an extremely professional raft guide, a husband, a father and a close mate. Ben chose not to conform to conventional ideals but instead to live the vagrant existence of a ‘ river gypsy’ moving around the globe chasing summers of kayaking and raft guiding.
I have paddled with both Ben and Adrian on many rivers in many countries and thus can emphatically say that Ben’s death was more a freak accident than a reckless or complacent act. Both Ben and Adrian are very safe, sensible and exceptionally skilled paddlers who would not haphazardly risk their life. In fact the rapid Ben drowned on was only class4 and he scouted it before paddling it, but unfortunately did not see the submerged log. Sometimes accidents just happen and we have to deal with them in their simplistic nature and not play a blame game to try and ease the pain.
In many respects we should not mourn Ben’s death but instead celebrate his life. Ben was an eternal optimist with an infectious enthusiasm and an endless energy that made him very driven and ambitious. Even on the biggest river epics, when everyone else had a grim face Ben would be wearing his cheeky smile, accepting the terms and conditions of the adventure in his trademark positive manner. Ben was always hard to say ‘no’ to and always the first to say ‘yes’.
My heart goes out to Adrian who had to witness his mate drown. No kayaker deserves to have to endure that nightmare. And to Robin who lost a husband and must now raise two children that will never get to know their father.
In many respects Ben was a martyr for kayaking and the ‘river gypsy’ lifestyle. He paid the ultimate price for the love of the river.
We will miss you Benny Earle, but rest easy mate for your spirit will always flow strong in the timeless currents and freedom of the river and in the memories of those who shared your amazing journey.
James Thorpie
