The strength of the current was overwhelming,
and he couldn’t regain control once he’d started
to veer sideways. Before he knew what he’d hit,
Kevin was already being pulled under the waves,
and his kayak was in nearly two pieces. Kicking
to the surface was like trying to push a brick wall,
and he couldn’t catch his breath enough to focus.
His pack, which had been securely strapped into
the kayak, was now nowhere in sight. Ironically,
Kevin had tripled the knot to make sure it wasn’t
lost in case he hit a couple rough waves, but nothing could have prepared him for this incident, except for his will to make it through.
Kevin was in the Army
reserve, and in his free
time, he loved nothing
more than to get out on
the water. Whether he
was signing up for a deep
sea fishing excursion
with his brother,
or heading into the
northern rapids, water
was just his thing.
Currently, however, he was battling an enemy, a
liquid body with greater force than a tank. Kevin finally broke free from the water’s grasp as
he made one last desperate attempt to throw
himself onto the rocks that framed the river. He
climbed up as best he could, and with his calves
still submerged, he let out a sigh that cracked
into a tiny groan as the last bit of conscious
breath left his body.
He awoke to the sound of crickets. In the midst
of his fuzzy reality, Kevin reached for his alarm
clock to silence them, but he was not in his bed.
He was still on the rock, and it was dark now.
The sun had long set. The trees were black, and
the rocks shone in the moonlight like reflectors,
guiding his vision down the river into – more
darkness.
Adventure Outdoors Fall 2016 53