Man goes thru flood gate at Lake Austin
03-09-2005 | 10:51 AM
#14
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From: austin,tx,usa
Re: Man goes thru flood gate at Lake Austin
Leave it to the news service to get the facts wrong.
That dam is about 60 or 70 feet tall between the upstream water and the downstream water. The flood gate is called a Tainter gate or something similar to that design in that it is pulled up vertically like a Guillotine blade and the water goes out through the hole at the bottom of the blade. The gate itself can be pulled completely out of the stream flow to let trees and everything else go through.
I drive past the downstream side every day and the gate was only partly open, so he was actually sucked under water about 20 feet below the gate before he even went over the dam which is another 45 foot drop.
Once downstream of the dam, the whirlpools are vicious. However, it is the loss of bouyancy that usually causes you to drown in frothy water. It is like you can't swim or float in whipped cream, but you sure can drown in it.
I live about a half mile upstream of the dam and think about the loss of engine problem whenever they spill.
There was a James Bond movie or some other thriller where they filmed a boat going over the dam at full speed to crash below. It is a long ways down.
That dam is about 60 or 70 feet tall between the upstream water and the downstream water. The flood gate is called a Tainter gate or something similar to that design in that it is pulled up vertically like a Guillotine blade and the water goes out through the hole at the bottom of the blade. The gate itself can be pulled completely out of the stream flow to let trees and everything else go through.
I drive past the downstream side every day and the gate was only partly open, so he was actually sucked under water about 20 feet below the gate before he even went over the dam which is another 45 foot drop.
Once downstream of the dam, the whirlpools are vicious. However, it is the loss of bouyancy that usually causes you to drown in frothy water. It is like you can't swim or float in whipped cream, but you sure can drown in it.
I live about a half mile upstream of the dam and think about the loss of engine problem whenever they spill.
There was a James Bond movie or some other thriller where they filmed a boat going over the dam at full speed to crash below. It is a long ways down.
03-09-2005 | 11:19 AM
#16
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 288
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From: Orange County, So Cal!
Re: Man goes thru flood gate at Lake Austin
Originally Posted by vonwolske
. . . It is like you can't swim or float in whipped cream, but you sure can drown in it. . . .
03-09-2005 | 12:02 PM
#17
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Re: Man goes thru flood gate at Lake Austin
Originally Posted by vonwolske
Leave it to the news service to get the facts wrong.
That dam is about 60 or 70 feet tall between the upstream water and the downstream water. The flood gate is called a Tainter gate or something similar to that design in that it is pulled up vertically like a Guillotine blade and the water goes out through the hole at the bottom of the blade. The gate itself can be pulled completely out of the stream flow to let trees and everything else go through.
I drive past the downstream side every day and the gate was only partly open, so he was actually sucked under water about 20 feet below the gate before he even went over the dam which is another 45 foot drop.
Once downstream of the dam, the whirlpools are vicious. However, it is the loss of bouyancy that usually causes you to drown in frothy water. It is like you can't swim or float in whipped cream, but you sure can drown in it.
I live about a half mile upstream of the dam and think about the loss of engine problem whenever they spill.
There was a James Bond movie or some other thriller where they filmed a boat going over the dam at full speed to crash below. It is a long ways down.
That dam is about 60 or 70 feet tall between the upstream water and the downstream water. The flood gate is called a Tainter gate or something similar to that design in that it is pulled up vertically like a Guillotine blade and the water goes out through the hole at the bottom of the blade. The gate itself can be pulled completely out of the stream flow to let trees and everything else go through.
I drive past the downstream side every day and the gate was only partly open, so he was actually sucked under water about 20 feet below the gate before he even went over the dam which is another 45 foot drop.
Once downstream of the dam, the whirlpools are vicious. However, it is the loss of bouyancy that usually causes you to drown in frothy water. It is like you can't swim or float in whipped cream, but you sure can drown in it.
I live about a half mile upstream of the dam and think about the loss of engine problem whenever they spill.
There was a James Bond movie or some other thriller where they filmed a boat going over the dam at full speed to crash below. It is a long ways down.
03-09-2005 | 12:04 PM
#18
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,173
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From: JERSEY,
Re: Man goes thru flood gate at Lake Austin
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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P4-13 Team THE JERSEY BOYZ OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACING, OPA/ SBI/APBA/UIM. PRESIDENT: THE JERSEY BOYZ , VICE-PRESIDENT: OPA RACING, THE GREAT SOUTH BAY RACING ASSOCIATION. WAZZUP RACING ENGINES
03-09-2005 | 12:20 PM
#20
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From: austin,tx,usa
Re: Man goes thru flood gate at Lake Austin
Whipped cream is very good for the body and even better on a womans body. yummy
I knew I was going to get shot at using the Whipped Cream analogy.
But seriously, takes these words of wisdom to heart for you and your children. People often are tempted to go swimming downstream of a falls or rapids in all those "nice bubbles". DON'T DO THAT. I tried it and damn near drowned. I am very bouyant, yet could hardly stay above the surface. I knew the current wasn't pulling me down and then realized the problem was loss of bouyancy. I should have known, I just never thought about it until after I had jumped into the water.
The reason I mention this is because you all may mistakenly jump into all that nice frothy water someday and think you are at the hot tub at the Holiday Inn and quickly drown. And even if it isn't you, you may lose a child or loved one so quickly and tragically, that I felt it is better for all of you to be advised of the mechanism so that the lesson sticks with you. Despite the demeanor of a curmudgeon (it is just an act), I do care about peoples welfare.
The human body is neutral bouyancy or slightly positive with lungs full of air. With lungs full of water, you will sink because of the bone density being greater than water. So all it takes is a slight reduction in the net density of the water, e.g., frothy or foamy, it tips the scale, and you will sink despite hard swimming actions.
That slight amout of air is why Ivory soap floats. It is claimed to be 99.44% pure. The other 0.56% is air. It is only 1/2 percent air by weight, but much more percent by volume. Therefore it is slightly positive positive bouyancy. It has nothing to do with the chemical purity. And no, the bar isn't hollow, it is just whipped with air before it is molded into the bar. A'la, whipped cream.
Don't let the kids swim in the heavy froth and make sure they take Ivory to the beach for a lake bath. They won't need a soap tray.
I knew I was going to get shot at using the Whipped Cream analogy.
But seriously, takes these words of wisdom to heart for you and your children. People often are tempted to go swimming downstream of a falls or rapids in all those "nice bubbles". DON'T DO THAT. I tried it and damn near drowned. I am very bouyant, yet could hardly stay above the surface. I knew the current wasn't pulling me down and then realized the problem was loss of bouyancy. I should have known, I just never thought about it until after I had jumped into the water.
The reason I mention this is because you all may mistakenly jump into all that nice frothy water someday and think you are at the hot tub at the Holiday Inn and quickly drown. And even if it isn't you, you may lose a child or loved one so quickly and tragically, that I felt it is better for all of you to be advised of the mechanism so that the lesson sticks with you. Despite the demeanor of a curmudgeon (it is just an act), I do care about peoples welfare.
The human body is neutral bouyancy or slightly positive with lungs full of air. With lungs full of water, you will sink because of the bone density being greater than water. So all it takes is a slight reduction in the net density of the water, e.g., frothy or foamy, it tips the scale, and you will sink despite hard swimming actions.
That slight amout of air is why Ivory soap floats. It is claimed to be 99.44% pure. The other 0.56% is air. It is only 1/2 percent air by weight, but much more percent by volume. Therefore it is slightly positive positive bouyancy. It has nothing to do with the chemical purity. And no, the bar isn't hollow, it is just whipped with air before it is molded into the bar. A'la, whipped cream.
Don't let the kids swim in the heavy froth and make sure they take Ivory to the beach for a lake bath. They won't need a soap tray.
