I was at the top of that run, heard some screaming and thought a kid was playing. Then I saw the girl clinging to the branches on the bank screaming. And then An old man, still reeling his line, started to wade towards her. And I'm thinking "don't fall in man! Find another way, you won't make it"... He stumbled, the current was strong, he slipped and went under. Came up and went through the rapids and came towards me.
Scariest sh*t I have EVER seen. Feeling so goddamn helpless watching him.
I freaked out trying to think what to do. Scrambled and grabbed a log, my buddy caught up to me at that point, and we tried to get it to him as he floated by but couldn't quite reach, the current was too fast at the top and pulled the log towards the bank.
Thankfully he was floating with his face above the water...
I thought about taking off my waders and going in, but I wasn't confident I would make it with the fast deep flow... I didnt know...
it was all happening so fast. I was panicking too. So much adrenalin...
Then the girl floated by, a couple feet away from the floating log but she was panicking and wouldn't reach for it or try to swim to it. We yelled at her to swim with the current. She couldn't hear us.
Then I remembered I had a life jacket... in the trunk of my car. But it was so far away....
Thank god, I saw some guys in the middle of the run out in the water helping the man stand up.
I can't remember the rest... I think I was in shock. People gathered around them and were helping them.
Learned my lesson, I Will be carrying that life jacket with me wherever I go now. And rope too.
I don't want to feel that helpless again when someone needs help like that, or it might be me for that matter.
Thanks to the two gentlemen the man and girl didn't drown and we didn't have to see them drown.
scares me when I think about it all. I'm sure it was worst for them.