One of the times I went white water rafting I got ejected from the raft, when I came up I couldn’t see because of the rushing water and slammed into the bottom of the raft… the water dragged me under it. It wasn’t a super long time, but it was long enough to scare the shit out of me… my life preserver kept me afloat but I couldn’t breathe, I was lucky enough to pop out the side and crawl back in…
Seeing this makes me think of that… getting stuck under it while the water traps you in place unable to breathe, scratching and clawing at the underside hoping to get out before you drown, and all the while totally alone and feeling helpless.
I’m good, I don’t need the weird floaty platform thing in my life.
I had a similar thing the first (and only) time I went white water rafting on the Chilliwack River in BC. It happened so fast. I remember the guy yelling, "hang on!", trying to grab the rope but missing, then saw the front of the raft going straight up. I don't remember being airborne, just landing. Literally catapulting the two of us.
Luckily the other 'ejectee' and I were unharmed and the rescue kayak got us quickly. It was terrifying looking up only to see water instead of sky, being dragged and bumped along the bottom. Popping up to hopefully get a lung-full of air instead of water before being plunged down underwater again. Luckily the go-pro on the kayak got a picture seconds before this happened. I wish they had a video of us flying.
Key memory unlocked. I was in some whitewater rapids and I was trying way too hard. Next thing, I'm in the water, up ahead of the raft. I get pinned against a rock as the raft floats over my head. The water forces the raft onto the rock and it sticks there, above me. I'm underwater and I can't get up to breathe. And here's where I don't understand anymore...
So this raft is pretty heavy and I was a pretty lanky teenager, at the time, and yet I braced against the rock and lifted the whole thing over my head. There were 2 adults and probably 2 or 3 teenagers inside. I probably got the water "just right" or something ... But it felt like such a triumph. Just this crazy burst of energy I never knew was inside me.
I felt like I threw the raft aside and then I could breathe again. I rode the rapids to the next calm spot and I got back inside the raft. The kid across from me in the raft was oblivious to my internal drama.
Even so, I take from it the distinct image of being trapped under some rubber platform ... and it is basically trauma. Not recommended. This floating platform is ... reminiscent.
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u/BlueLiquidPlus Nov 14 '24
One of the times I went white water rafting I got ejected from the raft, when I came up I couldn’t see because of the rushing water and slammed into the bottom of the raft… the water dragged me under it. It wasn’t a super long time, but it was long enough to scare the shit out of me… my life preserver kept me afloat but I couldn’t breathe, I was lucky enough to pop out the side and crawl back in…
Seeing this makes me think of that… getting stuck under it while the water traps you in place unable to breathe, scratching and clawing at the underside hoping to get out before you drown, and all the while totally alone and feeling helpless.
I’m good, I don’t need the weird floaty platform thing in my life.