Complacency is probably what get's people in the most trouble on a river. The mistake these folks made is letting a young, inexperienced rower guide the boat on a river that is twice as high as normal. Even in normal conditions, things happen quick on moving water. It's deceptive, how fast the water is moving and much power there is in that water.
A couple people in the group I've been guiding saw this happen and talked to the people afterwards. Three boaters trying out their brand new boat and the dad wanted to get his son some experience on the sticks. The bridge abutment came up quicker than anticipated and they rammed it, turning the boat sideways and capsizing it. Luckily, the three were thrown from the boat and not under it or inside it.
One of the boaters was missing for a short period but then was found a few hundred yards downstream. That's a pretty sick feeling, I'm guessing. Another of the boaters literally had his shoes and pants ripped off of him from the current.
There is a chance they get this boat back after the water drops. If not, they lost about $12,000 on the boat and who knows how much in rods and other gear? At least they didn't pay the ultimate price. Always remember; moving water is no joke.
Keep 'em where they live...
Actually Russ, the three guys were all middle age men, no father son duos in the boat, and they may be someone's child, they certainly weren't children. I'll leave the rest of the blog alone, but it isn't very accurate either. You were right about inexperienced though, kudos to that!
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