On Saturday, May 12, Ariana Perez Diener, Nick Yutzy, Jerrell and I opted to head back towards Zábalo via canoe after a two-day camping trip several hours down the river. While other students canoed, they were accompanied by a Cofán guide, doubling as professional canoeists. However, there weren’t enough guides for every canoe to have one, providing the four of us with an adventurous opportunity. To start, Ariana and Nick teamed up in canoe one, while Jerrell and I teamed up in canoe two. It should be noted Ariana and Nick had two paddles. Jerrell and I had only one, so as a more experienced canoeist, Jerrell sat in the back to steer the canoe while I sat in the front trying to stay as balanced as possible while trying to help Jerrell navigate the river full of fallen trees.
After lunch Nick and I decided to switch, as he had been steering canoe one, while I hadn’t been paddling at all. In retrospect, it may have been the wrong move. After lunch Ariana and I struggled slightly in finding our rhythm, occasionally getting stuck against logs or running into branches. (Side note, I imagine this is my fault because she and Nick seemed to have it down.) Eventually we came across a log we could not overcome, causing the right side of our canoe to tip below the surface of the river. Water quickly filled the canoe, leaving little room above the surface level. We tried to bail the water quickly before being fully submerged, however we were overcome by water due to our struggle to stay perfectly stable. Finally the boat was pulled underwater, taking us with it.
Immediately, our boots were sucked off our feet after filling with water. Our other things were recovered by Jerrell and Nick, who had turned around by the grace of God to see if we were doing alright. They quickly found we weren’t. While Jerrell and Nick got Ariana to a log, I was able to hoist the canoe onto a tree sticking off the river bank. After flipping the canoe back into the water, I hopped in and rode the current to Nick and Jerrell, who pulled me to the log Ariana was on. There we bailed the remaining water out of the canoe, and continued safely down the river until we were picked up by a motor boat. Despite losing our boots and Ariana’s sunscreen, we gained a new bond of friendship that otherwise may never have occurred, as well as a great story to tell.
By Eli Gingerich
