So my son Connor (19) tells me last week he's going to head to Eastern Washington to go river rafting. He's never gone river rafting, and gets sick anytime he's in any moving vehicle other than a car so I'm not really sure what the appeal was for him. Of course I immediatly think about the movie "The River Wild" where bad guy Kevin Bacon takes Meryl Streep hostage and forces her to navigate the rushing white-water rapids...
I tell my son "I don't think it's a good idea, it's dangerous and I'll worry".
"Don't worry," he tells me, "It's actually more of a river float...we'll just lay in the raft and float from Ellensburg to Yakima".
Ok, that makes me feel slightly better. But then I think about the movie Deliverance where...well, most of us know how that movie goes.
But I zip my lip and decide to let him have his adventure.
Fast forward to Saturday night and I get this text message:
"Wow, rough day on the river. Don't worry everyone's alive, battery dying will check in later."
I didn't hear from him until the next day and it sounded pretty scary. They were only in the water 5 minutes but couldn't keep their rafts together, Connor hit a tree and was sucked underneath it, losing his raft. He made it to shore and was able to help a few other people who were being pulled down the river as well. The Swiftwater Rescue team was called in to assist several people.
Evidently no one knew that the Dam had recently been released so the water was moving much faster than normal. Seems to me a notice should be placed somewhere along the banks were people normally put in the river?
But what do I know?
I'm just a Mom.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully marketing and selling real estate in King and Pierce counties since 1990.
Copyright 2009, all rights reserved. No portion may be reprinted without written permission.
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