[Paddlewise] Arrogance reigns

Yes, arrogance reigns and God protects drunkards and fools, as they say,
but so does the West Chester, PA Emergency Squad.

We had flooding from heavy rains here in the Delaware Valley around
Philadelphia, some areas got a month's worth of rain in less than a day, I
heard reported. As I was driving up to put in some time at the shop
yesterday my mom called to ask if I'd seen the local news, this at 11:30
a.m., that two men were stuck in a tree in the Brandywine Creek in
Pennsylvania, near Chadds Ford, if any of you know the Wyeth family of
painters, (mis-reported as a river by the local newsheads in their
inflammatory fervor) and because of power lines the chopper couldn't lift
them out. I said,"Let me guess, they're in street clothes, right ?"
"Right!"

Well, the 11 p.m. news splashed the story, sure enough the fools were
rescued, putting emergency crews in jeapordy pulling their soggy butts out
of that tree. The creek was raging such that their red canoe, aluminum, I
assume, was below them wrapped around the tree like tissue paper. I can't
guess at the force in cubic feet per minute that put it there. The 12'
rescue dinghy got into trouble once they got the second one aboard, the
outboard stalled and wouldn't re-start, forcing them to rush to throw a
line and secure themselves to the tree before they all went for a ride,
which from what I saw on the clip they just barely did in time. Eventually
they got it started and once back on land, the one of them, in olive drab,
no PFD, pushed aside the reporter at a near-run to the ambulance (while
saying he was alright and wasn't goin' to no hospital) as she asked him if
he would be going out in a small boat again in water like this.

His answer, as he sped past, grinning: "Sure ! Why not ?"

If I were King, I'd have him thrown back in. How did those men who put
themselves in harm's way feel when they heard that ? I think of them, I
think of all the discussion and free advice, learning and cautionary tales
that go through this forum and others. I think of Darwin, too...

~~Paul H.
Burlington, N.J.
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