Kudos to Fat Doug and Chris from River City Rafting!
Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 9:12 am
Yesterday on our 2:30 run, a young adult(?) male swam(?) through Hollywood.
I was sitting at the far back eddy at the rock below Washing Machine, when I heard someone call out that there was a swimmer. Looked up river and saw a non-boater struggling to get out just above Hollywood. About the same time, I saw a head pop up almost even with me in the flow. I just figured, another kid doing dumb stuff. He didn't seem to be doing a whole lot, but floated the left line. I watched the first swimmer I saw get out above Hollywood and some boaters in our group making moves in Hollywood. Moving down river, I saw Fat Doug with the second swimmer holding onto his boat with Shaggy there for support. They had gotten him to a rock by the time I got there. When i caught up with them it was odvious that the swimmer was totally exausted and disoriented (drunk?). I paddled up to a River City Raft, guided by Chris, and asked if they could get him off the river. Which he took care of. Thanks Chris! I later found out that Fat Doug had seen the swimmer come through and had noticed that he had a glazed look on his face and wasn't making any effort at self rescue. He had become foot entrapped/pinned below 747 Rock and was underwater and motionless for about 10 seconds. Fat doug had come by and grabbed at him and he became free of whatever he was stuck on (Doug said he didn't think that what he did freed the swimmer, but he did come free, you do the math)! Then Doug towed the swimmer to a rock where the raft extracted him. A happy ending to what would have surely ended up badly.
I was sitting at the far back eddy at the rock below Washing Machine, when I heard someone call out that there was a swimmer. Looked up river and saw a non-boater struggling to get out just above Hollywood. About the same time, I saw a head pop up almost even with me in the flow. I just figured, another kid doing dumb stuff. He didn't seem to be doing a whole lot, but floated the left line. I watched the first swimmer I saw get out above Hollywood and some boaters in our group making moves in Hollywood. Moving down river, I saw Fat Doug with the second swimmer holding onto his boat with Shaggy there for support. They had gotten him to a rock by the time I got there. When i caught up with them it was odvious that the swimmer was totally exausted and disoriented (drunk?). I paddled up to a River City Raft, guided by Chris, and asked if they could get him off the river. Which he took care of. Thanks Chris! I later found out that Fat Doug had seen the swimmer come through and had noticed that he had a glazed look on his face and wasn't making any effort at self rescue. He had become foot entrapped/pinned below 747 Rock and was underwater and motionless for about 10 seconds. Fat doug had come by and grabbed at him and he became free of whatever he was stuck on (Doug said he didn't think that what he did freed the swimmer, but he did come free, you do the math)! Then Doug towed the swimmer to a rock where the raft extracted him. A happy ending to what would have surely ended up badly.
Way to be there Fatty!!!!