Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jettabambino]

Before i start... I realize that i messed up.  Everytime i start to think of what happened this weekend i start shaking my head in retrospect thinking how dumb i was.   But let this serve you guys as a fair warning thatfishing can get you hypnotized and you can loose track of time.  This time it literally almost cost me my life...


We went away this weekend as a family and i did some fishing with my brother in law...First day we hit up a lake but didnt get anything.  we then passed by the local tackle shop and a girl told us about a river in which she went fishing with her boyfriend last week and caught large cutthroat.  We decided that was going to be what we were going to do the next day. 

We managed to sleep in that day but at around 9 ish we had our stuff in the truck ready to go with eager anticipation.   With a few stops to make for some breakfast and a few fishing bevys we arrived at the river at about 1030. 

Upon unloading the truck we head a buzzer noise that started . I remember that i have fished systems in which i heard similiar sounding noise which signafied that they were opening up a floodgate or resivoir.  I asked him about this and he said that "we have a tonne of time... atleast an hour so lets make a few casts and we will notice the water creeping up.  And that we did. 


Cast after cast we hit a few fish.   He as i was retying he looked over and yelled and cursed and started running.  He yelled out a few F words and said we got to go the water is comming fast.   I quickly started to run but looked at him over my sholder and he was keeled over laughing as he managed to trick me.   He said was only kidding....

So a little more time passed we continuted to fish.   It honestly felt like 15 minutes.  I heard him yelling my name again... Saying RUN RUN the WATER IS COMMING.... I didnt move and flipped him the bird.   He said no seriously the water is comming... I still didnt believe him but he managed to jump down a 15-25 foot rock he was standing on.   I honestly thought if the water would come up it would be slow and steady similiar to the capilano.  Well i looked over a rock that I was standing beside and there was a 30 foot wall of white/ brown water barreling down the canyon we were in.  it was picking up logs, rocks.   This time he wasnt joking and we had to run for our lives.   I managed to quickly climb up a bolder that was about 30 feet high.  As i got to the top I had not where to go but looked back and the water was going to take me away.  I lept to grab a tree root and managed to pull myself up on a ledge.   My bro in law appeared to the left of me and reached down to help me up. 

The end result is we managed to avoid death by 5 seconds.  Our vests, tackle and rod we swept away with the raging water of the river.   We came home after having to hack our way through heavy bush as we werent on the trail.  once we found the truck we quicly drove away... When we got home our wifes new something was up and they couldnt believe how stupid we were.   And i agree.... What we thought was a half hour was to much time and the gates were opened.   



So please be CAREFUL.   Think before you do....

I used to be the guy who was all for charging the snowboarders that went out of bounds or the fisherman that got stuck somewhere because of lack of judgement.  I kinda think now.... I made a mistake.. a mistake that people would have sat back if they saw me on the 6 oclock news if i died and said "what a idiot, he deserves to die".  But it was a mistake and one that i never will make again.  Heck it nearly cost me my life.  Please be careful out there.........dont push the limit

[bentrod]

That is some story.  Do you know the name of the river you were at?  It's a good thing some father didnt' take his son or daughter fishing there.  I think it's a little irresponsible of the tackle shop not to give you a warning about the possible flash floods in this system.  Anyway, thanks for the lesson and I'm glad you're ok. 

[jettabambino]

I spoke to the tackle shop..... the girl who gave us the tip is actually a good friend of my inlaws and she told us that we had to be complete idiots for not obeying the warning bell.... and she is right... mind you I did tell her that the weekend warriors come out and could of had a young child in there....

The river system is notorious for this and all the locals know about this... they say there are signs but i didnt see or atleast didnt notice any...

I assume 100% blame as i should hav been smarter... but it freaks me out that i could have died if it wasnt for 5 more seconds...

[Lumps]

I think every fisherman is guilty of this, the consequences might not have been as bad but I think everyone has said "one more cast, alright one more" next thing you know an hour has past and your walking a trial in the dark. Glad everyone made it home safe, point taken.

[Fish Assassin]

Heck it nearly cost me my life.  Please be careful out there.........dont push the limit

Words to live by. Glad you're back and able to write about it.

[BladeKid]

wow man, thats scary.

Do you know the name of the river you were at?  

.... yah what river?

[Steelhawk]

I have heard stories before about flash flood which killed people because we all assume that the river level should rise slowly, not a 30 ft wall of water. Does anybody know how flash flood is formed? Is it only for a certain type of rivers? Yes, if the Cap, the Chehalis or the Vedder behave like that river in the story, then most of us would have been caught in the flood.

[younggun]

I've been in situations where water had risen and i got stranded, but nothing like that. Careless mistakes. On both our parts. Good thing ur still around.

[BwiBwi]

Flash flood can be created by different ways.  Such as log jam somewhere in the river canyon when enough water got dammed and broke through you'll have a rush of high water. 

[coryandtrevor]

Was it the Puntledge in Courtenay ? The water can whip down there pretty fast and I have heard the buzzer there as well. Scary stuff..........

[jettabambino]

no it was eagle river in powell river

[THE_ROE_SLINGER]

thats one scary story! Glad your ok. Im sure you will never do that again

[jettabambino]

god no...its kinda weird that I find myself thinking about it and start shaking my head still in disbelief that i was this close till the end of my life...

[casinoJim]

your story sent a chill down my spine
CJ.

[e36blue]

Wow. Good to hear your're alright and thanks for posting the story.