Date of Event: 6/19/2026

Canyon Involved: Rio Teixeira (Portugal)

Region: São Pedro do Sul (Viseu)

Country: Portugal

Submitted by: Jérôme Genairon

Source: The victim

Injury: Abrasion or Laceration, Cut with a canyoning safety knife

Cause: To be determined

Description of Event: At the end of the canyon route, the team member (victim) takes a jump of about seven meters. Upon impact with the water, the team member feels an unusually sharp jolt, localized very precisely just below the chin. The force of the impact causes his jaws to snap together and shakes him up (a minor concussion). The team member is somewhat dazed but remains lucid enough to consciously surface and swim about thirty meters to reach the edge of the pool. Throughout the swim, the team member feels discomfort under the chin—not exactly pain—and notices no trace of blood. Upon exiting the water, the team member notices that his canyoning safety knife (Edelrid Rescue Canyoning Knife – Item No. 720250001380) has slipped out of its hard case and is dangling from the end of his safety lanyard. The hard case is attached to the left shoulder strap of the chest harness (Garma MTDE). It should be noted that to perform this jump, the team member first had to climb a small rock face. This somewhat challenging climb required the team member to move while in contact with the curved rock face over a distance of 1.5 meters (resulting in friction between the team member and the rock face). Following a brief exchange with one of his teammates, who examined the team member’s chin, it was discovered that this team member had a clean, deep cut beneath his chin, approximately 20 mm long. This cut is not bleeding or is bleeding only slightly. The team member is quickly attended to by the team, who apply a bandage to protect the cut. A doctor on the team determines that the cut will require stitches (or equivalent treatment). The team member leaves the scene without difficulty and will receive appropriate medical care once back in town.

This outing was a standard, low-intensity outing with competent and experienced teammates. No safety rules regarding the use of equipment or the application of techniques were violated.

Analysis: In any case, the cut on the chin was caused by the canyoning safety knife, which had come out of its sheath unexpectedly. To prevent this type of incident from happening again, the question is why the safety knife came out of its sheath. Among the most likely causes, the knife may have come out unexpectedly while climbing the curved rock face (and due to the teammate’s friction against the rock), or upon impact with the water during the jump (from seven meters). Other causes are possible, but to date, the true cause—or the combination of factors leading to this event—has not been clearly identified. Further analysis should therefore be conducted (to attempt to identify the cause of the knife’s unintended dislodgement), which is why this report is being submitted to the ICAD. The manufacturer, Edelrid, will also be contacted. It should be noted that the consequences of this incident could have been significantly more serious, particularly if the blade had struck the carotid artery in the neck.

This incident, which could have resulted in more serious consequences (injuries), helps us identify a type of event that appears to differ from the most common incidents and accidents in canyoning. Identifying the cause—or the various factors that led to the knife coming loose unexpectedly—would allow us to implement appropriate measures to prevent this from happening again.