Extreme kayaker, 23, killed just two days after she was profiled for '60 Minutes Sports' when she lost control on one of world's most deadly rapids

Shannon Christy, an experienced kayaker, was overtaken by powerful rapids as she practiced for the Great Falls Race in July

Her death came just two days after she was filmed taking the same drop on the Potomac River for 60 Minutes Sports

In the interview, she talks about the dangers of the sport



An extreme kayaker who was killed after she was overtaken by powerful rapids was being profiled by ' 60 Minutes Sports ' at the time of her death, it has emerged.

Shannon Christy, a 23-year-old experienced kayaer, was preparing for the Great Falls Race on the Potomac on July 11 when she encountered trouble in the first drop - one of the steepest in the world.

Her kayak was found drifting downstream and her body was eventually recovered from beneath tons of water in a deadly section of the run. Organizers called off the competition following the tragedy.



Christy's death came just two days after the 60 Minutes crew interviewed and filmed her during her first practice run on the Class Five Rapid, which is the most dangerous category.

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Tragic: Shannon Christy, a 23-year-old extreme kayaker, was killed in the rapids on the Potomac River two days after filming this interview with 60 Minutes Sports. She was preparing for a competition

Feat: The profile shows her tackling one of the world's biggest drops - and grinning when she climbs out

She was filmed grinning with exhilaration after she finished the first run before sitting down with the crew to talk about the dangers of the sport.



' We have all been in situations where you've had to pull your spray skirt and be ejected form the kayak,' she said. 'It's not something that's ideal or what you want to do, but it does happen to the best of the best.'

On the video she is also heard discussing one area of the run - the 'Subway' - and another kayaker warns her to keep away from it. It was here that she lost control two days later.

The rapids were so forceful that they had pulled her from the kayak, leaving her to swim, which is a situation kayakers seek to avoid.

Her friend Will Seeber was with her when he saw her being swept away.

THIS EPISODE AIRS ON SHOWTIME THROUGHOUT OCTOBER. CHECK SCHEDULE HERE.

Tragedy: The documentary makers saw her kayak floating down the river just after she was swept away

Massive: On the profile, she was warned against one area of the rapids - and it was this area where she died

He 'attempted to come to her aid, but could not reach her in time before the fast-moving currents pulled Shannon into "Subway",' according to a statement released by Active Nature, the sponsor of the event.

She became pinned under the water and drowned, authorities said. The powerful water had also ripped off her flotation device and her helmet.

She had previously written on her blog, which documents her love of the water, about the dangers of coming out of the kayak.



'You're so much safer in your boat than out of it,' she wrote. 'Learn your roll and make it solid.'



The Showtime profile, which includes the interview and footage from the recovery of her body, will air on Wednesday at 10pm and then repeat again throughout the month.

Loss: Christy was an experienced kayaker who worked for a kayak manufacturing company in South Carolina



Joy: Images on her social networking sites show her grinning as she takes part in extreme watersports

Following her death, the kayak event was canceled, and in its place, dozens of kayakers came together to honor and remember the sportswoman, who was from Greenville, South Carolina.

'She would always bring a smile to the rivers and it was great to paddle with her,' friend Pat Keller said.

But he added that the tragedy would not put them off going back in the water, the Washington Post reported.

'For what we receive for playing on the waters and dancing with an element that is so much more powerful than us, it’s worth going out again and again and again,' he said.



Funloving: Friends remembered her as always smiling and being great to ride with on the rapids

Missed: Christy, pictured with her mother, was found pinned beneath water and could not be saved

After college, Christy had worked for a kayak and canoe manufacturer in Greenville while traveling the country seeking whitewater runs.



Friends also recounted the massive effort to save her, with one kayaker, Jeff McIntyre, telling WUSA9 : 'It was nothing short of a heroic effort.'

Christy became the third kayaker to drown in the area since 1998, according to the Potomac Paddlers Volunteer Corps, which promotes safety on the river.

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