White Water Rescue

Over the 4th of July weekend I had the chance to make a return visit to Cotopaxi, Colorado and take another stab at taming the mighty Arkansas River while in an inflatable boat!  I say “tame”, because due to the amount of snowfall and subsequent snow melt this year… the water level and flow (3200 cubic feet/second) of the river was extremely high and dangerous.

My sister (Stacy), cousin (Ryan B.), and friend (Ryan T.) all came in for the weekend and we squeezed a lot of fun activities in to a small amount of time, but the rafting trip was by far the most exciting.  Myself and Ryan B. had done the Royal Gorge trip with Arkansas River Tours previously and loved it.  Going in, we new this year’s trip was going to be even more exciting than last year, due to the water flow… and the fact that we were the only ones in our boat (other than the guide) that had been white water rafting before.  It’s not exactly a “lazy river” ride.

Within 30 minutes of the trip down the river, we came across our first major Class 4 rapid.  Just prior to going in to the rapid, we pulled off to the bank and waited for the other boats in our group to gather back up in case one of us got in to trouble and needed help.  As we sat there and prepared to go in to the rapids, a smaller boat with 5 people passed us and hit the rapid head on.  They weren’t part of the A.R.T. tour and even from a distance, appeared to just be a group of locals with their own boat.  Unfortunately, they didn’t look to be all that prepared for what was about to come… either physically or mentally.

As soon as they passed us, we followed them and headed towards the rapid that was named “Three Rocks”.  Almost immediately as they went in to the rapid, their boat lifted, flipped, and dumped everyone in to the ice cold river.  Everyone in our boat obviously noticed and pointed it out to our guide.  She immediately said “Don’t worry about them.  I need you to focus on us.  We can’t help them!”  Well, of course when your guide pretty much says “screw em’ because we have our own problems”… you know shit is about to hit the fan.

Sure enough, the rapid sucked us in and our guide was yelling at us to “paddle forward, left, forward, go, go, go, go!”  We were all focused on what she said because none of us wanted to end up like the boat that went in front of us, yet we were all concernced about the safety of those people who got dumped.  The water is way too cold to be in it for an extended amount of time.

We safely made it through the toughest part of the rapid, but wasn’t quite out of trouble just yet when our guide yelled to the passengers of the flipped boat to “swim to shore”.  There were 4 of them all together that had their head above water and were aware and able to swim to safety.  However, there was one other person from their boat that had floated on down river apparently unconscious as he was face down in the water and not moving.  Our guide did a great job at maneuvering our boat in his direction while the rest of us paddled our asses off to get to him.  Once he was in reach, I dropped my paddle and attempted to pull him in to our boat.  I was able to get a hold of his life jacket, but it didn’t fit him all that well and it began to rip as I pulled on it.  So, I grabbed him from under the arms and pulled him in to the boat and on top of me.  I had to use all I had to lift his dead wait out of the water and in to the boat.  He had to be well over 225 lbs.  Luckily, he was awake when we got him turned around on his back, but I think that was about it.  He was almost completely blue in the face, and getting worse.  His eyes were bulging out.  He wasn’t breathing.  He wouldn’t (or couldn’t) respond to anything we asked him.  I couldn’t tell if he was experiencing a heart attack, or if hypothermia was setting in. Regardless, he was in really bad shape and I thought for sure this guy was going to die right there in my arms.

The rest of the people in our boat were able to paddle us safely to a nearby shore and we began working on the man.  After Leslie and I tended to him for a few minutes, Ryan B., Ryan T., Stacy, and the guide paddled us down the river a little further, until we could find a spot where we could get the boat on shore and try to flag down help from a passing car.  After a few more minutes, he was able to start getting small breaths and respond to the things we were saying and asking.  The first words he eventually got out were “family”.  Obviously wanting to know the status on the rest of the people in his boat.  We told him that they were fine and had been able to safely swim to shore.

While we sat there on the shore waiting for help, he slowly started coming around and was eventually able to sit up, and then stand up and get out of the boat.  At that time, the rest of the boats in our group met up with us.  They had picked up the rest of his family and their empty boat that had been floating down river.

By the time the rest of the family got to shore and were reunited with him, he was standing and beginning to breath normal.  They had no idea of the severity of what he had just gone through.  And honestly, I’m not sure he did either.  Our guide was able to contact an emergency crew, but for some reason the guy refused any kind of treatment.  He didn’t want to go to the hospital… at least not in an ambulance.  I have a feeling he didn’t have any health insurance… and I can certainly understand not wanting to spend a lot of money for care when you appear to be okay.  However, what he went through was pretty severe and he really needed to be checked out by a doctor.  The amount of time he was under water… and then in the water (which was probably in the 40-50 degree temperature range) is definitely not safe.  Not to mention the fact that he could have gotten some water in his lunges, which could cause a “dry drowning” later on.  I sure hope he at least went to a local physician at some point just for a routine check up.  He was clearly not in that great of health to begin with… and that whole ordeal definitely didn’t help.

Naturally, this excitement kind of spooked us a little bit.  This was the very first major rapid that we were to come across that afternoon and already we were dealing with flipped boats and saving lives.  Nevertheless, once we were all ready, we proceeded on down the river.  We were definitely a much quieter group after that, but still enjoyed the rest of the river.  Unfortunately, due to the high level of water flow (and the earlier events) we weren’t allowed to go down the most dangerous part of the tour… The Royal Gorge.
So, instead we just went back and did the first leg of the river a second time.  It was disappointing for sure, but I understand the reasoning for it.  It just means that we have to go back some time later this season and do it all over again.  Hopefully, this time without having to save anyone’s life.

In the end it was a great and memorable trip.  I wish we didn’t have to fish a floating body out of the river and save his life, but I did feel pretty good about it.  Not sure that I’ve ever actually saved someone.  At least, not so directly.  The unfortunate thing about it though is… I didn’t even get a “Thank you”.  I really don’t think he knows what happened… and how close he was to dying.  I know I won’t forget it.