We cannot be the lifeline for someone else if we are not securely strapped into our own life jacket.
16 years ago, my friend Gary and I took our families on a canoe trip down the Green River. We started the trip at Green River Utah and
went to Mineral Bottom, west of Moab Utah. A
beautiful 4 day trip of about 68 miles.
Now before I
go further I need to tell you something personal about myself. Many of you will find this hard to believe
but here is my confession. I am a very
stubborn man. When I was a little boy, I
was a very stubborn child. Fortunately I
had a Mom and a Dad who knew how to teach me.
I have also been blessed with a Heavenly Father who knows me as He
knows each of you. Just as we know our
children and know what they will do in certain circumstances, He knows what I
am likely to do.
Now with that in mind, let’s go back to
the river. On the second day down the
river, the water was very calm, very smooth water.
About midday most everyone stopped for lunch and to stretch their legs
on a beach. My Daughter Jessica was sharing a canoe
with me and when we started to shore she cried that the mosquito's were too bad
and said she did not want to go in. She is very allergic to them and each bite swells more than expected. So
we floated a little further down the river where we found a place in the shade
of the cliffs and stayed there in the canoe to have our lunch and rest. It was cool there, no bugs and totally calm
so we laid back to take a nap. At some
point I took off my life jacket and used it for a pillow. (Bad idea… more to
come on that subject) We stayed there
about an hour and then took off when everyone else came along. We were bringing
up the rear with Gary in the lead. Almost too late, Gary realized we were almost to
"River Register" at approximately mile 77.5 where people have written
their names for years and years back to the time of Major John Wesley Powell. Gary wanted to stop
and hike to river register so he started hollering for everyone to go to shore.
The Canoes were in the middle of the river had to turn the canoe sideways
across the river and even paddle a bit up stream to get to the shore. I told
Jessica that we should take a more direct approach (bad idea number 2) so we
started to angle directly to the beach.
When we got close to shore we saw that there was a big rock sticking out
of the river a little so we tried to get past it on the side away from the
shore but we were way too close to it. When we got to the side of it the
current grabbed our canoe and sucked us sideways and promptly turned the canoe
upside down throwing us out into the water. Remember the life jacket? Well it
was still on the seat right in front of me but no big deal I’m a good swimmer,
I have no shoes on to weigh me down, I have a cotton tee shirt and cotton
Dockers so I can swim easily. Everything is tied in the canoe so again no big
deal. My oar is not tied and is floating right in front of me so I grab it and
start swimming to shore. Jessica is yelling something about my life jacket and
is trying to pull it free from the canoe. All of a sudden I am going down in
the water. That eddy is churning and sucking on the downstream side of that
rock and it wants to take me to the bottom. I am kicking and swimming as hard
as I can but I can’t get my head above water. I manage to get my head up about
twice for quick breaths and as I go down the third time I’m thinking, If I
don’t get up now I am through.
I will
continue this story with Kyle’s account.
Kyle is Gary’s youngest son and was only 13 years old at the time. Quote “Well, we had about four to five canoes
and one kayak and we would trade off and on with the kayak. It was my turn in the kayak and we had to
stop at this one stop called Register Rock.
There was a rock in the middle of the river that everyone had to go
around and came back into the spot where we wanted to go except Theron. He went in between the rock and us on
shore. He went facing across the river
sideways when he tipped over and didn’t have his life jacket on. At that time I was barely getting to shore
when my dad told me to get out there and help Theron. So I pushed out there and I tried to go up
stream into the eddy, but it was a real strong current. I could see his head bob up and down in the
water so I went over to where he was I couldn’t see him. Then I felt something at the back of the
kayak, I yelled to him to grab on. As I
turned and looked back I saw him hanging on the back so I pulled down into safe
water and over into the bushes.” Close
quote.
Now I was
under water when I heard Kyle yell at me to grab on. I reach my hand straight
up and there is the kayak. I grab the back of it and pull myself up out of the
water. I am exhausted and can hardly do anything but hang on. Jessica swims to
me with my life jacket yelling at me to put it on (she is crying). She helps me
get my arms in it and zips it up.
Now after it
is over I am told that Allen (my son) was on shore and already took his jacket off to go
hike to register rock. He runs and jumps in after me with no jacket. Luckily
Kyle saved me before Allen had a chance to get sucked into that eddy.
Was I lucky
that day or did God know I was going to be stupid and stubborn. Gary’s wife Lesley yelled at me to put my
life jacket on just a few minutes before the accident. I told her I was a good swimmer and the water
was calm and not to worry. Was I lucky
or did the Lord prepare a 13 year old boy to save me from myself. I am sure that if Kyle had not got to me when
he did I probably would have drowned.
Was I lucky
or was I again blessed with another miracle in my life.
Kyle is the
youngest on the trip, I am the oldest.
He is the smallest, I am the largest.
What do you think?

I never get tired of hearing this story. Thank you for your testimony, Theron. And I'm glad you're still alive.
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