As our group approached the final rapid, Tumbleweed, our guide reminded us to keep paddling at all times. We enter Tumbleweed, poised and ready to do battle. Brian and I are in the front of the raft and excited. A wave hits him hard and knocks him a little off balance. We quickly begin rocking and rolling and I am trying to stay in the boat. The people on the left side of the raft start falling into the middle of the raft and then, wham, I get hit with a wave of water and it's all over -- I fell out.
Falling into the water was a rush and I loved it! Fortunately, I was still next to the raft and could reach out and grab a rope that was attached to it. I knew I should go feet first through the remaining part of the rapid but instead I let the raft pull me through a little backwards. While riding along next to the raft, I managed to whack my butt against a submerged rock which left a heckuva bruise.
All-in-all it was an exciting adventure and I'm just glad I didn't suffer a worse injury. About a week later a kayaker died going through that same rapid area. He capsized his boat but grabbed onto another passing craft. As he was being towed along, his hand slipped off and he fell face-first into the water. The authorities said he aspirated some water and that was all it took. He had on both a helmet and a life preserver. How awful. There but for the Grace of God go I.
