RedactedNarrative: The victim, who was canoeing with a church group, was caught in rapids near Basswood Falls on the Basswood River. The canoe wrapped around the victim's ankle and around a rock in the rapids, pinning the victim to the rock. Life jackets were worn. The location was very remote and communications were difficult. The other two people from the victim's canoe suffered no injuries. The canoe was a total loss.
  
  The victim and the group leader were interviewed the following day. The victim explained that he and two others in his canoe had shot two sets of rapids successfully prior to this incident. Another watercraft in the group had filled with water and capsized after the second set of rapids (no injuries or damage). The group leader went to assist the capsized watercraft, and instructed the people in the victim's canoe to wait by a nearby rock so he could check out the next set of rapids before they continued. As the group leader assisted the capsized boat, the victim stated he egged on his two friends to go for the rapids, and they did so. The canoe immediately went sideways in the water and became lodged on the rock. The other two people were able to jump from the canoe immediately and get out of the water. The victim stated he was trying to remove their bags when the canoe collapsed in on him and wrapped around the rock. he stated his left foot became wedged between the two sides of the hull of the canoe as it collapsed and wrapped around the rock. He stated that as time went on, he became more and more exhausted and then sleepy. 
  
  When the accident happened, a "runner" was sent to the canoe base camp to get help. When authorities arrived, they observed 3 people on rocks and one who appeared to be stuck by his lower extremities in a partially submerged aluminum canoe that was wrapped around a rock in extremely fast-moving water. The victim who was stuck appeared to be in distress as he was being held up by another party (the group leader) on the same rock and appeared to be exhausted. Authorities were finally able to pull the canoe and the victim from the rock. He was helped to shore and rescuers began rewarming him with emergency blankets and extra clothing. When the rescue helicopter arrived, it flew the victim about 1/2 mile to a seaplane waiting on Basswood Lake. The victim had improved greatly after being warmed up but was still in a lot of pain in his left ankle. The plane flew to the seaplane base in Ely, and then the victim was transported about a mile by ambulance to the hospital.