Vacation Disaster: Death On The River, by Vagabond

For a family in Colorado things changed forever, in just a few minutes.

The context is a family vacation in Colorado with my wife and daughters. We were on a level 4 white water rafting trip with a guide with water at about 800 cfs and there were many people taking these trips. Estimated water temp in the mid 50’s.
Our boat, carrying 5 had pulled over to the shore to rest for a minute when we saw an oar floating downstream (the water was calm where we were). This alerted our guide, and a few seconds later we saw a floating vest which alarmed the guide. We rowed over as fast as possible, my daughter in front grabbed the vest and lifted and up came a man’s head. The guide with our help heaved him into the boat and we began CPR. The boat was so soft we couldn’t get proper pressure so we rowed to shore. There were no responses of any kind from the man, and no pulse either the guide or I could feel.
Getting him on shore was unbelievably difficult, because we estimated him to be mid 50’s, obese with a weight of at least 260. I can’t stress this enough: a guy that size, from a boat to a higher shore, slipping in water with little to hold on too.
GUYS, PLEASE KEEP SOMETHING IN MIND: IF YOU ARE TOO BIG AND SOMETHING HAPPENS EVEN THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TOO.
 
IF YOU ARE NOT IN SHAPE YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE.
 
IF YOU ARE NOT IN SHAPE YOU CANNOT HELP PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP.
My wife hailed another boat and that guide was a well-experienced EMT; across the water on land someone called 911. We all traded compressions and breathing until EMS arrived maybe 10 -15 minutes later. They took over, and the AED indicated no shock.
Maybe 15 minutes later his family arrived, and truly I would rather not have been there for that, as hearing and seeing their panicked grief was truly terrible; I think everybody teared up at that point.
EMS worked on him at least another half hour and finally called it and covered him.
Our guide – maybe 28 – had never performed actual CPR, but I tried to reassure him that he did well, he worked his training, and we had full confidence in him completing the trip. Afterwards I spoke with him again and told him what Scuba told me several years ago when I came across a man in a parking lot whom I performed CPR on and later died; that it could stay with him a very long time, that he did his job and didn’t freeze – things like that so he doesn’t eat himself up wondering if he could have somehow saved the man.
My family did well, helping where they could in effective ways, and the unexpected action of my youngest daughter -18 surprised me; during a break she organized a family prayer for him and his family on the spot which she conducted herself.
The strange thing is that everybody in my normal, everyday family has had contact with CPR and I’m hoping as a dad I’ve done some things right, meaning afterwards they told me they were calm because I was calm, and the guide was decisive.
My son witnessed the CPR I did, and several months later when he saw someone collapse he performed CPR himself until a medic came.
My hope is that by having such experiences in our family, it has set up an expectation that ‘our family gets on with it, and helps where we can.’
The other take-away was slowness of recognition for us (but not the guide). Our initial thoughts were we thought someone dropped the oar, and maybe the lifejacket, but the guide upon seeing the jacket shouted ‘Paddle! Life jackets just don’t come off!” and he was right.
The kids aren’t traumatized by it, but they certainly are bothered to a degree and we have talked about it quite a bit. Turns out the man was 51 with a history of cardiac problems and they will be performing an autopsy next week.
He did have water in his lungs, so we know he took at least one breath. Cold shock? Cardiac arrest? He wasn’t wearing a wet suit.
But how fast things can go pear-shaped.

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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

8 Comments

  1. Anonymous August 8, 2021 at 04:07

    5

  2. Anonymous August 8, 2021 at 09:07

    4.5

  3. American Yeoman August 8, 2021 at 09:11

    Wife and son were at Canon City Monday, river is about 1100 right now–high for this late in the season. Makes for a good ride.
    They had 3 other boats in their run, full of kids, none of whom spoke English. Raft company never should have let them on the trip. How the Hell do they ” back paddle 2″ when they can’t speak English?
    Second class 4 and a kid was tossed out of another boat. He ended up clinging to a rock until another company’s boat pulled him in. The Gorge is no place to play.
    People die every year on the Arkansas, less frequently on the Poudre but it happens. I don’t think most people really understand how dangerous it can be. Many think it’s a sedentary activity where you just sit and float- which goes to your point on fitness- it can become a matter of life and death at any moment. On one trip on the Poudre several years ago we saw a boat fold, we pulled in several people but one they had to call the EMTs for and they left in an ambulance. Made an impression on my boys 8 and 10….

  4. Tiger Stripe Dermis August 8, 2021 at 11:42

    Don’t get too far out without a medic. The modern processed Frankenfood diet is designed to keep magic soil dullards docile and duped as they are stuck back 40-50 years ago.
    Given up on trying to educate family about the poison that they are ingesting with high gluten, carbs, sugar, processed GMO synthetic lab food.
    To even be around it is nauseating, just the smell, and if you put out any for outdoors animals they won’t go near it.
    Everything in this sham Potemkin empire of lies is a fraud, scam, or death trap.

  5. Johnny Paratrooper August 8, 2021 at 15:27

    Thank you for your quick response. Despite the unfavorable outcome. This man did not pass alone or without the company of prayers. I am praying for his family.

  6. Grumpy August 8, 2021 at 20:03

    A quick word about the guide – He acted appropriately because his mind was made up ahead of time. I think this is vitally important at least for me to reinforce in my mind. There will be plenty of cataclysmic events going forward and mental preparation is the key to working through trepidation.

  7. Ralph k August 9, 2021 at 08:53

    We are born, we live, we die. It is the circle of life. I spent 4 decades in the health care arena, and have witnessed a few hundreds folks traveling to the hereafter. Have performed CPR many many times. You and your family, your guide displayed exemplary skills and judgement in the manner of your actions. Your observations on the current state of the human condition is what it is, the stark truth. In one of the tactical classes I took, we practiced evacuation of the wounded. That was one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish, and that person was just an average in shape individual. As an aside, if you fish a young person out of the water, i.e. a kid, perform CPR for an extra long amount of time. Young mammals have what is called a diving reflex where the heart slows down tremendously, the cold helps reduce oxygen consumption and all of it is protective to the brain. Have seen a number of children successfully resuscitated despite long immersion times, and they fully recovered without any subsequent brain injury from anoxia. Everyone should learn basic life support, classes are everywhere and you could end up saving a life.

  8. X-Beast August 22, 2021 at 04:28

    I did a lot of whitewater rafting and kayaking back in the day. I lost a couple of friends along the way. I’ve had some very close calls myself. I was getting premonitions so I had to walk away from it because I knew it was just a matter of time before my number would come up. I do have a lot of fond memories of the crazy shit I did back in the day.

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