Many of these dramatic happenings take place on river sections that, like Charlie, are well-known to many CCA members, including the Lower Yough, the Potomac's Stubblefield Falls, Great Falls, and Difficult Run, the Shenandoah Staircase, and the infamous Gauley River. Upping the interest level for us still further, several CCA members participate in these rescues: Barbara Brown, Ron Ray, Ed Grove, and others.
As I was reading, I was struck by the author's choice only to include stories where the victim survived. Including only successful rescues saves takes some of the pragmatism out of the narrative, but it also takes out most of the tragedy and dread and replaces them with hope and inspiration that paddlers' actions can make the difference between life and death. The result is a highly readable book that shows again and again how good preparation, safe boating practices, quick action, and teamwork can save the day. I found myself eagerly devouring page after page to see how each group of paddlers struggled their way to a good outcome.
Spread throughout the book, Walbridge includes helpful tips and insights that distill the collective lessons and best practices of these successful rescues:
The Basics
• Avoid alcohol and drugs on the river
• Group size: One paddler is a victim, two is a witness, three is a rescue
• Stay within sight of each other
Bring the Essentials
• Carry a throw bag
• Bring a cell phone
• Wear a life jacket
Prepare
• Practice rescues so you can quickly perform a real one under pressure
• Find out the river's difficulty and hazards before you put on
• Prepare for the challenges of high or cold water
There are even more tips in the book.
Which brings me to the role of luck. The book vibrantly illustrates that a successful rescue most often is not due to luck. Instead, while the initial accident, such as a foot entrapment or a pin, is often unlucky, rescue best practices are paddlers' key tools for fighting against bad luck and getting out of a desperate situation. A throw rope extended across the river can stabilize an unlucky victim. A quickly accessible knife can set free an entangled swimmer. Good rescuers are not lucky, they are prepared.
To my knowledge, Charlie, now over 70 years old, has not written a memoir. However, after reading this book, I realized Whitewater Rescues is a memoir of sorts. Charlie tells many rescue stories that he participated in, or were reported directly to him. As I reflect on the stories, I now understand that the book also coveys a sense of time passing, starting with the earliest stories from the author's first years learning to paddle in the 1960s and 70s, at college and summer camps with pin-prone pointy boats. As the years passed, whitewater paddling, and Charlie, grew up. Today, thankfully, we can paddle more securely with more modern boats, cell phones, and nearby automatic external defibrillators. Ultimately, it's a story of progress, inspiration and hope, in pursuit of safe adventures and community on the river. Looking at it that way, I think being a member of CCA is a pretty good place to start.
Whitewater Rescues: True Stories of Survival, Bravery, and Quick Thinking, by Charlie Walbridge, Menasha Ridge Press, 360 pp., published April 16, 2024. Available from AdventureKEEN and Amazon.