The Magazine of The Sierra Club
Rescue a Swimmer Stranded in a Raging River
When a quick dip to cool off goes bad
To celebrate my birthday, Adam and I decided to climb Mt. Clark in Yosemite National Park. It was our second date. On the way, we stopped at the Merced River to wash away the city grime. I should have examined the river more carefully.
I'd swum across the Merced a dozen times, but never at this spot and never during peak runoff. The current was a lot stronger than I expected.
I started swimming back. The current slammed me into a boulder, beyond which was 100 yards of whitewater. I jammed my hand between two rocks for a solid hold.
I screamed for Adam. He raced for his climbing rope and harness in the car. He tied a loop and tossed it to me.
I kicked free from the rock. My body swung like a pendulum and crashed into shore. A pink indentation below my knuckles still marks the lifesaving hand jam.
This article appeared in the July/August 2018 edition with the headline "Summer Swim."
ASK THE EXPERT
Steve Akeson is a river guide for the Sierra Club's Inspiring Connections Outdoors program.
"These folks were very skilled, and very lucky. If Leonie had been able to get on top of the rock, they could have staged a rescue with more personnel and better gear. Ideally, Adam would have tossed a life jacket at the end of the rope."
