C-Forum

Joe from Penn. swam at the knee as he went to the right of the knee his foot got wedged in a crack, well it was really his army tpye of river boot that got trapped. He was underwaterfor about 90 seconds but he finally got lose and all was good. The really good thing was while he was hangin out he got Tony paddle lose, which had been hung up in there for three days. Oppsflipagin freeak out but we got him calmed down thank God Joe didn't see him or he would have had a heart atack from the look on Opps face, but again the good thing is that we were able to save
Tonys paddle, Norse paddles are hard to come by we could proberly get another 55 year old openboater from Penn.

glad that turned out ok!! nice to meet you joe, and all we met at our campsite/fire monday and tuesday night. quite a group!
steve

how I feel if it hadn't somehow it would have got around it was my fault. Joe is OK, I mean he is OK, both ways. It ain't everybody that will stay under water that long just to get a buddies paddle.

that was my first thought. we do what we do. and that norse could fill in as a bush hog

Not a wake up call but a strong reminder that this ain't badmittin we are playin here. Joe had the best gear possible, with a strong group on a very safe river and stuff can still happen. Joe got to run the hardest thing he had ever done, and ended up with the best story of the whole ALF ( yes Foton it is better than the butt boater on Caney Forks with both shoulder dislocated) A reminder that this is a sport where personal decisions to run or not run something is made by the person doin the runnin. We could have all stayed at home with the door locked and with the exception of Randon gas been perfectly safe, of couse that ain't really livin is it.

Everyone should use this as a reason to up your life insuracne policy ( don't use AIG ) but remember the bright spot. Joe can really lay a guilt trip on Tony and we saved a Noris Paddled

Just for the record, that paddle is now Joe's. (well earned spoils of a hard battle).

Having swam the same spot just the other day, it shows me how a small margine makes a difference and you never know whats gonna happen.
As I go back and paddle my own localriver tomorrow I'm gonna keep that in mind that what may seam easy and common place cause its been done over must still be respected.

Hey, glad to see you made it to the Telli again. I'm also glad no one has any lasting scars from your incident. Way to go the extra mile for a friend's paddle.
You two (Joe and Tony) are really good paddlers and it will be my pleasure to paddle with both of you again. Let's make that happen soon! Lower Yough, Cheat, etc.

mick

Mick, that was a different Joe from PA. Yough sounds great, though.

OMG there's more than one of you?
Mick

what kind of river booties do you wear?

I just wear sandals that my feet come out of pretty easy, the Joe you're talking about wears boots, though I'm sure that'll change ASAP. I talked to him today, he's fine.

You tell him he is more than fine, anyone who went through that and would get back in boat even to ferry across the river to his car is a Single sticker through and through not a buttboater bone in him. You tell him my house is his house and any time he stops by we will slice the meat a little thiner and add some water to the gravy. He also let me set a new record, I have never said the Lords Pray that many times in 90 seconds in my life, dam I am glad he didn't die on my watch. Of couse anyone who would go ahead and run Jarrods knees after the way I was on my knees beggin him not too, just shows he is too stuborn to die.

After three days of uneventful paddling I decided it was time to step up and experience the real adventure that I came here for.
Getting caught-up in all the excitement all it took was one person to tell me I could do it , taking an otherwise safety concience paddler with quite a bit of training and experience to pay no attention to what was right in front of me. Out classed by water, using a boat too edgy for my ability and of course the wrong footwear nothing seemed to phase me, even as I swam time after time .
I recall talking to Denton at the top as he told me he was on edge all week and today he wasn't- that concerned him ,it should have concerned me also but I only had one thing on my mind. I was going to do this and the worse thing that could happen was a swim like an amusement park ride.

As we took a break before Jareds Knee A total stranger I had just met while swimming the previous rapid advised me not to continue.

Paying no attention to him I just got in my canoe and headed down river as though nothing could hurt me, no caution,no second thoughts, no lump in my throat. No respect for the river or what it was capable of doing to anyone.

As I sit at home healing up with my wife and dog by my side, playing the event over and over in my mind, I still don't know how or why I came out of it alive.

The only thing I can do at this point is share this experience with other paddlers to remind them not to loose perspective of what we are doing. Just as alot of other things in life we can't be afraid of it, but we do have to Respect it.

I'd like to thank everyone for your concern and support (Katie: your calmness and words of support put me at ease when I needed it most- Thanks!)

I hope to see everyone on the river again.


Thanks
Joe Sieck

Joe, I am glad you it wasn't your time. I am looking forward to paddling with you in the future. We do this for fun, not to tempt fate. If we lose perspective, that's when poor decisions can be made. May we all learn something from your close call
Catch you later, and hopefully not with a throw rope!

Pssss. craig check his feet before you put on.