Safety Report, 5-7 AM:

Team Name Date Days in Route Location Number Nearest City Navigation Mileage Time called in Total River Miles Position estimated Alaska MSC Rebels 5/18/01 Fri 14 Loc 1 Below Lock and Dam 11, Dubuque Iowa 7 AM and 9 AM Third Double Helix** 5/18/01 Fri 14 Loc 1 Lock and Dam 22 by Hannibal, MO Mile 301 6:30 AM 1046 Tied for 1st and second, see May 14 report Kruger* 5/18/01 Fri 14 Loc 1 Lock and Dam 22 below Hannibal, MO Mile 301 6:30 AM 1046 Tied for 1st and second * and ** - Note on Team Kruger and Team Double Helix - both teams were stopped 3 times during the race. See Race Delays for more information.

Updates/Comments Received from Elizabeth Tynan, Safety Officer, 5-7AM calls, summarized today by Mary Potter since Elizabeth reports slooooow computer problems today:

Team Alaska - Kerm call Mary Potter around 9 AM, could not get his phone working earlier, and now got a busy signal at Elizabeth Tynan's, and didn't want to wait - Kerm said "Well, I didn't want anyone sending the coast guard to look for me!" Kerm was paddling below Lock and Dam 11 and reports he is "floundering down the river". He laughed quite a bit as we spoke and said at night the team tries to dry things out and generally gets 6-8 hours of sleep, although Kerm reports getting 2 to 4 hours a night himself. They are all doing fine!

Meanwhile....somewhere on land, Eric called Elizabeth Tynan around 7, more to chat than to report in and indicated yet another main attraction to Team Alaska - they have a great! cook who continues to make excellent meals that everyone is enjoying thoroughly! So now we know the whole story about Team Alaska, also referred to as Team Glob and Team of One Hundred since they seem to readily attract newbies!

Team Double Helix - Andrew called in at 6:30 AM, Lock and Dam 22. Paddlers are expected shortly.

Team Kruger - Stan called in at 6:00 AM, Lock and Dam 22 Mile 301, below Hannibal, MO. Paddlers are expected shortly.

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Webmaster's NOTE.... As I was listening to new messages in the last hour, one began, "Hello, this is the Sherriff's office" and I thought, oh no, someone is really in trouble or they want me take that last sherriff incident off the website...." and he continue "from St. Cloud.", (St Cloud, MN? I wondered.....), "We have a kayak that we believe one of your teams lost! Please call us at...." When I did call, not only did they have the Team Alaska's long lost yellow kayak, the officer reported the kayak had all sorts of rigging on it, the GPS and marine radio "as if it were outfitted for a really long trip" :-). Thank you St. Cloud Sherriffs! Kerm Ketchum will pick up the boat that tried to get away on his return trip home to Alaska after the race has ended.

Safety Report Received PM:

Team Name Date Days in Route Location Number Nearest City Navigation Mileage Time called in Total River Miles Position estimated Alaska MSC Rebels 5/18/01 14 Loc 2 Lock and Dam 13, Iowa 5:18 PM 3rd Double Helix** 5/18/01 14 Loc 2 Lock and Dam 25, Missouri Mile 240 6:59 PM 1107 Tied for 1st and 2nd, see May 14 report Kruger* 5/18/01 14 Loc 2 Lock and Dam 25, Missouri Mile 240 6:59 PM 1107 Tied for 1st and 2nd 1984 Record 5/10/84 14 Loc 2 Lock & Dam 26, Alton, Illinois Mile 203 4:00 AM 1144 * and ** - Note on Team Kruger and Team Double Helix - both teams were stopped 3 times during the race. See Race Delays for more information.

Updates/Comments Received, 5 to 7 PM Calls:
From Don Keller, official time keeper

Team Locations Friday 5/18 PM - Lost Kayak Recovered.
At approx. 5:00 PM this afternoon the St. Cloud sheriff's department notified Mary Potter that a yellow kayak was found. "It looks like it's set up for a really long trip" On May 12, the Team Alaska "Yellow Banana" capsized and out intrepid paddlers swam 75 yards to shore, as the kayak headed south by itself. Kerm said "I think it might have gone over the falls at the St. Cloud dam"

Here it is six days later, and the St. Cloud sheriff's department got a call from a citizen. They investigated, thinking that there might be a body nearby. No one had reported anyone missing, so Sgt. Jeffrey Janssen made a trip to Toy R' Us, and someone there, another miracle of miracles, knew about the lost kayak, and put Sgt. Janssen in touch with Mary Potter. The kayak was recovered with a GPS and marine radio.

Team Alaska 5/18 PM Support at Lock and Dam # 13, waiting for paddlers. Kerm Ketchum called in and I asked him "Well do want to hear something interesting" I then related the story of the return of the "Yellow Banana" Kerm has contacted the Rock Island CBS affiliate TV station and they will do an interview tomorrow. They are planning to camp tonight at Lock and Dam # 13 and tomorrow night at Lock and Dam # 15. quite near Rock Island Ilinois.-Davenport Iowa

Team Double Helix 6:59 River Miles 240
Both teams have just been fed by the unbelievably skilled and resourceful Team Double Helix cooks Edith and Johann. As Andrew put it "Edith continues to provide 5 course meal with just a spatula and a cook stove" Andrew said "We are standing in a light rain, so I'll give the phone to Kent". Kent and I have been comparing the daily distances made on this trip, to those recorded during the 1984 record.

Team Kruger 6:30- Stan called to say that Team Kruger is changing up support teams . He will meet up with the crew in St. Louis.

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Daily Updates

For More Updates, Photos and Videos please the main Race page.

* and ** - Note on Team Kruger and Team Double Helix - both teams were stopped 3 times during the race - 2 times by the Coast Guard, and 1 time by the Sherriff's office. See Race Delays for more information.

*** Note on Total Miles: For purposes of our site, we compile total miles as the total river miles the teams have passed. If teams take legal shortcuts, we note it on that date, but do not reduce total miles. Please see the May 9 report for more information.