Thursday, February 14, 2013
Crazy Coincidence - the follow up to last post
UPDATE::::::::::::::: Above is the video that is mentioned below. Chilling footage.
Yesterday morning (Wednesday) I get a call at 8am from one of the friends who witnessed my escape from the sieve. He sounds a little shaken up and tells me that I'll never believe what he is watching online at that moment. It turns out that on Tuesday a kayaker made the same mistake as me, in the same spot, on the same rapid, and swam into the same sieve. Yes, I know! Unbelievable. "So, two guys swim into a sieve..." Right?
So I read his account, watch the video and I am in disbelief. The video looked exactly how I remembered the lead in to the sieve. It looked like my memory was playing out right there online. Here's the craziest part of it all. He goes under and in the video you see my kayak. My kayak! It was so strange to see it there. Well, the kayaker happened to go into the sieve headfirst, he became wedged between my kayak and the bottom of the river but pull himself out through the sieve! He swam through it. I couldn't believe my eyes. He survived. Two people in three days in the same death trap make it out alive. Unbelievable.
Well, he manages to climb back on the rocks and retrieves his paddle which is poking out of the water. He tries to kick his boat free and in the process dislodges my boat, but his took mine's place and is currently stuck in the sieve. He decided to leave his behind, because he had no choice, and paddled my boat the rest of the run. Then he states along with his video that he wants to return the boat to its owner, me.
Well, we made a date to meet to exchange stories and return my boat. It just so happened that we chose today, Valentine's Day. We both forgot what day it was (sorry babe). So we met today for a beer, talked about our experiences, which were eerily similar with the minor detail that he crawled out the back and I climbed up the front. Our decision processes were similar, although I think he remained slightly calmer after hearing his telling of the story. He was underwater for roughly 14 seconds before emerging on the other side. Congrats on making it out. By the way, we both still made it in time to our dates for the evening.
I can definitely say it was a pleasure to meet this gentleman and can't show my gratitude fully for him returning my kayak. My paddle is still missing, but I have my boat. Thanks again! Glad you made it, man.
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Hi guys, I am glad you are safe. WElcome to the club. About 10-12 years ago 4 of us were IKing at flows around 400 CFS. I figured too low to hard shell so was in the IK. Doing the traditional right side run staying on the current just past the sieve next to the rock and all of a sudden my IK introverted flipping me backwards and dropping me into the sieve. I momentarily remember trying to grab on a log and was unable to hold on and was forced through the wooden roots and to the bottom pitch black.The only thing going through my mind was how long till I pass out. I looked up and saw light and swam towards light. With a big giant yoo hoo as I emerged on the back side of the rock. My three buddies were all crying cuz they didn't know how they were going to tell my wife that I had drowned. That rapid has changed since December flood where all the gravel has filled in on the left making it very shallow. Just pass the word,,,this is the most dangerous rapid on this run. We need to come up with a name for this rapid - or just the sieve.
ReplyDeleteDoug Soule, Colfax CA
Wow, Doug. This is a dangerous rapid. Since this post I have heard of two more people THIS WEEK that also swam through the sieve. FYI everyone there is a green boat stuck in the sieve still. Oh, and a friend retrieved my paddle for me! It's a little worse for the wear but I did get it back.
ReplyDeleteHey Doug, This is Mike your sieve Valentine. I'm still out in Afghanistan, but will be back in a few weeks and am dying to get back on the water. I'll hit you up when I get back, maybe we can conquer "the Sieve". If you hear about that green boat ever coming out of that hole let me know...maybe I'll burn it like an effigy!
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