The statistics include good Samaritans like myself, as well as emergency personnel who may lack proper swiftwater rescue training and equipment, but feel compelled to “do something.” I didn’t know it at the time, but nearly half of all drownings related to swiftwater incidents are would-be rescuers. Within minutes a helicopter landed and she was rushed to a nearby hospital where she fully recovered. He spotted the girl, pulled her out, and was able to administer first aid. Luckily, another gold seeker, dressed in a wetsuit and dredging the river bottom, was about a half mile below us. ![]() I finally gave up running, as the terrain made it impossible for me to keep up with the unconscious girl. ![]() Without a lifejacket, my own survival would be questionable. I ran along shore, trying to find a safe place to attempt rescue, but the water was too fast and deep, and it was freezing cold. The limp body of a young woman, face down, was floating rapidly downstream. ![]() Years ago, while learning to sluice gold from a swollen mountain stream in southern California, I saw something that immediately sickened my stomach.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |