I'm No David Hasselhoff
So me and a couple of my friends went down to float the Comal River yesterday. Thanks to the great people at Corner Tubes we were on the river with our trusty cooler tube a little before 2.
We were doing what you do on the river...sitting in a tube...drinking cold beer....and talking as if there were no one around. We were involved in casual conversations about work, and life, and the nice "scenery" that floated around us; all filled with expletives and other foul gestures of course.
Coming up on the "Tube Chute"we had to make the decision who would be the one with the greatest responsibility known to tubers...who was going to take the cooler down. The Tube Chute is a man made rapid that snakes around a little and then blows you out down into a whirlpool of water...strong currents that will either push you down river, suck you back up river, or just spill all your beer and ruin your trip await at the end. You've got to know when to start paddling once you get through it or you end up stuck back up on the upper end of the pool. It's not like a class 5 rapid or anything...I don't know the system, but I doubt it would be a class 2. For the weaker swimmer it is a little dangerous, but there are life guards around. The part where the chute meets the pool has been known to claim many a hat, or sunglasses, and of course it likes to tump coolers and steal ice and beer.
So there I was...I felt up to the task...this wasn't my first rodeo and like a seasoned veteran I positioned myself to secure the cooler and to be ready to row my way out of the whirlpool. I made it through unscathed...the true tubing talents I showed were immaculate...the cooler was never at danger...I was in great position to continue downriver without any delay...and then I saw something. I saw flowing hair just under the surface of the water. I saw a small head bob up and gasp for air. I reached down into the water and pulled a small girl up onto the edge of my tube. She was clearly panicked and desperately trying to catch her breath. I asked her if she was alright and she only responded with "Thank you" She had lost her tube coming out of the shoot and and was being sucked away by the flowing water. I don't know how many people had passed by or over her, but I know how many were coming behind me.
She collected herself on the edge of my tube and again starting saying "thank you" over and over. She then asked me if I could float her across the river so that she could rejoin her group. The river gets shallower after the rapid and I floated down a little to where I could walk her across. Now mind you, while all this is going on I've still got the cooler secured with my feet...it was never in danger...except for the buzzards I call my friends who were swarming to get their hands on my little 12 oz. buddies. I made sure the cooler was in good hands, and then proceeded across the river. I found a small family, holding a empty tube and clearly very concerned, who were glad to be reunited with their little girl. At one point I walked across the river, holding the hand of a little girl I didn't know...I imagine the view point of onlookers who hadn't seen the prior events...a drunken twenty-something redneck holding the hand of a little girl while he walked across the river...they probably thought I was some kind of molester.
By the way, I want to add that the ease of which I walked across the river rocks was credited to my new pair of Crocs. These things are a must have!
Now I didn't pull any Baywatch moves on the river. I wasn't perched high on some tower and go running to the rescue...I didn't do the full speed dismount off the side of my tube and swim to the drowning victim...I was just in a certain place at a certain time and did what every person is supposed to do...help someone in need. I think that too many times people just look away when someone is in trouble.
I'm not asking for praise, and I'm no hero. The conversations we had both before and after this incident might make a sailor blush, a woman cry, and my mother go get the soap. I just hope that a little good gesture might make up for some of the bad!
There were many days that I've floated the river and talked about picking up a chick...I never saw this one coming.
Tags: David Hasselhoff, Corner Tubes, Comal River, Crocs
We were doing what you do on the river...sitting in a tube...drinking cold beer....and talking as if there were no one around. We were involved in casual conversations about work, and life, and the nice "scenery" that floated around us; all filled with expletives and other foul gestures of course.
Coming up on the "Tube Chute"we had to make the decision who would be the one with the greatest responsibility known to tubers...who was going to take the cooler down. The Tube Chute is a man made rapid that snakes around a little and then blows you out down into a whirlpool of water...strong currents that will either push you down river, suck you back up river, or just spill all your beer and ruin your trip await at the end. You've got to know when to start paddling once you get through it or you end up stuck back up on the upper end of the pool. It's not like a class 5 rapid or anything...I don't know the system, but I doubt it would be a class 2. For the weaker swimmer it is a little dangerous, but there are life guards around. The part where the chute meets the pool has been known to claim many a hat, or sunglasses, and of course it likes to tump coolers and steal ice and beer.
So there I was...I felt up to the task...this wasn't my first rodeo and like a seasoned veteran I positioned myself to secure the cooler and to be ready to row my way out of the whirlpool. I made it through unscathed...the true tubing talents I showed were immaculate...the cooler was never at danger...I was in great position to continue downriver without any delay...and then I saw something. I saw flowing hair just under the surface of the water. I saw a small head bob up and gasp for air. I reached down into the water and pulled a small girl up onto the edge of my tube. She was clearly panicked and desperately trying to catch her breath. I asked her if she was alright and she only responded with "Thank you" She had lost her tube coming out of the shoot and and was being sucked away by the flowing water. I don't know how many people had passed by or over her, but I know how many were coming behind me.
She collected herself on the edge of my tube and again starting saying "thank you" over and over. She then asked me if I could float her across the river so that she could rejoin her group. The river gets shallower after the rapid and I floated down a little to where I could walk her across. Now mind you, while all this is going on I've still got the cooler secured with my feet...it was never in danger...except for the buzzards I call my friends who were swarming to get their hands on my little 12 oz. buddies. I made sure the cooler was in good hands, and then proceeded across the river. I found a small family, holding a empty tube and clearly very concerned, who were glad to be reunited with their little girl. At one point I walked across the river, holding the hand of a little girl I didn't know...I imagine the view point of onlookers who hadn't seen the prior events...a drunken twenty-something redneck holding the hand of a little girl while he walked across the river...they probably thought I was some kind of molester.
By the way, I want to add that the ease of which I walked across the river rocks was credited to my new pair of Crocs. These things are a must have!
Now I didn't pull any Baywatch moves on the river. I wasn't perched high on some tower and go running to the rescue...I didn't do the full speed dismount off the side of my tube and swim to the drowning victim...I was just in a certain place at a certain time and did what every person is supposed to do...help someone in need. I think that too many times people just look away when someone is in trouble.
I'm not asking for praise, and I'm no hero. The conversations we had both before and after this incident might make a sailor blush, a woman cry, and my mother go get the soap. I just hope that a little good gesture might make up for some of the bad!
There were many days that I've floated the river and talked about picking up a chick...I never saw this one coming.
Tags: David Hasselhoff, Corner Tubes, Comal River, Crocs
posted by Michael Wren at 2:20 AM
3 Comments:
Thank goodness you were there or who knows what would've happened to that little girl. And good job keeping the cooler safe. ;)
Now, get these damn ads off your blog! LOL
I think that too many times people just look away when someone is in trouble.
WAAAYYYY introspective. I love it! LMAO about picking up chicks, David! I dont' get the crocs thing, I think they're ugly.
That's scary. Thinking it might have been one of my daughters sends shivers up my spine.
Now hand me one of those cold ones so I can chill.
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