Water Rafting Sequel

If you have not read my previous post 'Water Rafting 101', go there quickly and read it before you start on my new post.  The whole idea of 'sequel' is that something came before.  You need to UNDERSTAND my fear and trepidation with water rafting before embarking on this new jewel of a post.

Somehow in the back of my mind, I think I'd decided that people really didn't fall out of their rafts.  I'd decided that it was just one of those things that had to be talked about so people would know what to do on the slim chance that one did exit the craft.  It wasn't likely, just possible.

It is a good thing I didn't know about this before I headed to the Arkansas River.  I'm afraid I'd been at Wal Mart with those who opted to skip all the rafting happiness.  Daughter I-Needa read my rafting post and elected to e-mail a picture of her good friend Jules who was rafting on the Deschutes River in Oregon.  She put something about a good thing Jules listened to instructions in the subject bar.  So.........

Jules was water rafting, something she had done before.  They were happily paddling along.  (I will digress just long enough to remind you of my own intent to be in Dylan's raft where my job would be to hang on.  I didn't want to paddle or be responsible for keeping away from the rocks!)

So...  Jules was in the craft...back seat... same as me.    Her hands are busy with the oars as she has a job to do.  All is well.... almost.

Oh no!!!!   Do you see what I see?  Jules isn't rowing now.  She is headed for the water for sure!  I sure hope she listened to all those instructions that they should have given her.  This isn't funny!  Nope!

                              

You can see Jule's foot, and the guide is looking too... for sure.  I wonder what he is thinking!  I know what I'm thinking.  Jules?  Not a clue!

There is Jules in the water trying to head back to the raft.  By golly, she kept her sun glasses on.  I wonder if she wished she had a helmet.  There are ROCKS out there... lots of rocks.

I e-mailed Jules and asked her what on earth happened that she ended up in the water.  She said she'd put on lots of lotion, and just slipped off the raft.  The guide managed to get to her downstream and pull her in closer with her paddle, then pull her into the raft with her life jacket.  She said it was a very scary experience and she was lucky to be alive.  She also told me that when she went overboard, all the instructions just flew out of her brain.  I can believe that.  

I went back to my 'to do' list and darkened that check mark by water rafting.  I've done it.  I enjoyed it.  I think I'll leave it at that. 

By the way... the above pictures weren't on the company website very long. I'm amazed that Jules managed to fall overboard just when the photos were being taken.  I doubt the company wanted Jules as their poster girl. I know I would have been at Wal Mart if I'd seen anything like that ahead of time.  I did use these wonderful shots with permission of Jules.