Bren Orton, from a trip to California in 2023. Photo: Senders YouTube
Bren Orton, a talented kayaker and media producer from England, is missing in the Ticino Region of Switzerland after an accident on the Melezza River, according to his boat sponsor, Pyranha.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce an accident involving Bren Orton,” wrote the kayaking brand yesterday on its social media pages. “While kayaking with a group on the Melezza River in Switzerland, Bren became trapped in a recirculating feature and did not resurface. Authorities and friends are tirelessly continuing their search efforts, and at this time, Bren is considered missing.”
A “recirculating feature” is a hydraulic where the river forms a pourover or hole – not dissimilar to a low-head dam – where rafts and kayaks can become trapped. Many of the rivers in the Ticino Region of southern Switzerland – like the famous Verzasca – are beautiful, crystal-clear drainages that are steep and ideal for Class V creek boating. But with enough water, drops can form dangerous holes that most experts work to avoid. Still, every kayaker has had to deal with being trapped in hydraulics at one point or another. The steepness of the river and the hydraulic’s location (if it’s in the middle of a long rapid, for example) can dictate just how dangerous it is.
There are little details available about the accident other than those provided by Pyranha.
Orton, 29, is one of the most talented kayakers in the professional realm today and his prolific YouTube channel, Senders, regularly features incredible footage of his travels all over the world. From Norway, to Africa, California, and Europe, Orton has ventured to most of Earth’s prolific whitewater regions.
And he’s had to work hard to do it. He once told Paddling magazine that he was thankful he’d reached a point in his career where he could just paddle, and not work odd jobs like “digging graves or manning call centers” near his Warrington, England home.
Orton’s competitive freestyle background prepared him for what his career has morphed into: focused almost entirely on epic river-running missions and exploratory kayaking. His infectious, positive energy is always on display in his videos.
We’ll update this story as we know more.
