Spean Bridge, Scotland. 2005.

This story is by no way a macho version of an epic that was almost fatal.  It’s my version of events on what happened on Saturday 12th November 2005.  With a view of training and staying switched on in the darkest of times, during the loneliest of places, people can pull through. 

My eternal thanks to Craig and Ian

The story might get a bit heavy, but it is as how it happened and how I felt. 

 

 

The Moy Burn…

I suppose the main event for the weekend was the plan to paddle the Moy burn on Saturday 12th November 2005.  The burn is graded 4/5 on the guide book.  But when is a four a five and when is a five a four? 

Anyway, we reckoned the whole burn would run (grade V) with the exception where the river went under a deer fence.  There appeared to be a lot of cables and pipes running in and around there.  It was doable but too risky. 

We split the burn into three sections.  Oh, did I not mention who was paddling?  Craig Dearing, James Fleming and Ian Letton.  The sections were run one at a time with some one at the end of each section for safety and another in a key tricky part of the burn for additional safety.  So there was only one person running the burn at a time. 

The Sections were harder as we progressed, section two was harder than one etc…  All three of us ran the first section.  Craig and James ran the second section and only James ran the last section.

Out of all three sections I reckon Ian Letton cleaned the silkiest move.  As he came down the first section he came up against a rock, used his paddle in a self defence motion, capsized, his paddle snapped, released the shorter part of the snapped paddle and used the longer part to roll up.  That was worth paying money to see!  If only Craig and James could have taken a leaf out of his book that day!!!

Section two saw Craig run it first.  The start was a double small drop followed with about 10m of swift flow till the 3m (ish) vertical drop, guarded by two flipper rocks on the way down, a smooth pinning boulder on the right, a deep plunge pool and a small re-circulating action Mmmm, then a run down a jaggy outcrop and a nice 2m boof into another plunge pool to finish section 2 off. 

Craig cleaned the first wee double drop and came up to the 3m drop.  As he went over he clipped the river left flipper rock, landed upside down and was being held by the smooth pinning rock.  The re-circulation action moved him from the rock.  After a few failed rolls he came out swimming.  Its fair to say it took about 15min to get Craig out and about another 5 mins to pull the boat out.  James helped Craig out.  The rolls would reverse later that day.

After Craig was suited and booted James gave it a bash.  He came over the double drop and approached the drop on the river right.  As he approached the drop he increased the speed and hit the flipper rock on the right, threw out a massive brace on the left and went deep into the pool for about 3 seconds.  Surfaced onto the river left rock.  Paddled a few strokes into an eddy and cheered in elation.  A few minutes in the eddy and he left to negotiate the jaggy outcrop.  Very indecisive on the lip,  failed to commit in any line, went down slightly right of centre and bish, bash bosh landed in the hole.  Bracing, he pulled himself from it and went onto the last 2m boof.  Second section done.  Yee ha!!!!  Craig got in below the plunge pool and finished the run off.

Section three was last, but by no means least!  Ian did the safety cover at the bottom and Craig covered the first drop.  James ran it first.  There was really  two main bits the first one was a medium slanting drop into a small hole.  We weren’t really sure if it was going to be sticky.  The last part was the main event.  A long fierce section, going from flat to running over a ridge sliding down a gradient, boofing into a small pool and immediately hitting another drop into a grippy looking hole!  James was in his boat and ready to go.  He ran the first slanting hole.  It ran smooth enough.  He came to the main course of the river.  Took a good line over the ridge, as he came careering down the slid he came to an abrupt halt.  His whole body slid forward about five inches with the force, he thought he broke his ankles.  The pain on his face was echoed by the shouts from his voice…Argggh!!  (just like the commandoes comic).  As he came to the end of the run Craig and Ian both came to his rescue.  This was the first time he was in need of help on Saturday 12th November 2005. 

Unknowingly, James was to require their help later. 

As I write this story I am now trying to change the tense in which I speak about the story and get more personalised and intimate. 

I guess, as a coach and lover of the sport and having some time to reflect on the events of Saturday 12th November 2005, the main reason I am writing this is to highlight the importance of training and staying switched on in the darkest and loneliest of times.  It doesn’t matter if you’re in trouble on the Spean or the Tay.  In high or low water.  I used the training taught to me and what I teach to people.  It saved my life.
 
I reckon, through some of the courses I have done and trips that I have lead on, some paddlers will know when I say “who looks out for me”.  On Saturday 12th November 2005, I needed this.  My ‘life’ depended on this.  Craig Dearing and Ian Letton were there for me!

 

“A cheeky run of the upper Spean?”…

…That’s what Craig said.  To let you know about the Spean I have used some quotes from the “Scottish White Water 2nd edition”  to let you know what the type of water we were paddling, or not!  Rather than me saying…Oh the fish we caught was massive…  And for the record the dam was blowing all five pipes with the sixth partially dribbling, water coming over the top and fiercely coming over the sides.

 

“The Spean is one of the larger rivers on the west…”

“On 6 pipes, the upper section offers the biggest volume white water run in the UK, particularly if the water is also spilling over the dam.”

“The upper Spean is probably the largest volume white water run in Scotland.  When all six pipes are blowing and there is a large flow coming over the top of the dam,  this is the closest thing that you will get to monsoon boating in the Himalaya.”

 

Yup, it was going like an express train.  As you read this, unless you have seen this or experienced this, it is difficult to understand the forces and power of the water (the fish I caught was the biggest on the planet).

Craig, Ian and James (me) got in below the Loch Laggin dam.  It was almost at total release.  Full pelt.  The full enchilada.  Who’s the daddy.  Iam the daddy.  It was the Daddy of daddies, Craig was to lead, then Ian and then me. 

On serious water in France (Chateau Queyras Gorge),  this year, I had discussed with Craig and Matt about safety and we came up with the following:

“Myself, Craig and Matt had a brief on ‘what ifs’.  What if someone swam, what if someone got pinned what if… We all agreed there was only one answer.  You’re on your own.  If something did go wrong no one was going to be in a position to help.  Simple.  We agreed that if some one got in to bother then who ever was in a position to help at the end would do so.  That was the safety brief.  We all knew the position.”

At the time I knew before we got on the water that we were really on our own.  It was gong to be difficult to effect a rescue.

Craig gave a brief.  Watch out for the two waves/holes at the get in.  Ferry glide across and run river left, follow me. 

The river was running ferociously fast.  Ferociously fast!

We were all in our boats and gave the thumbs up.  Craig broke in.  Ian broke in.  I made a number of errors in getting on the water.  I didn’t have the angle right, not enough speed and hit the first wave/ hole.  I capsized, not less that 5m from where I was meant to break in. 

If I knew what the following consequences were going to be I would have pushed that extra hip flick, made another attempt, anything, to avoid what was coming.  Anything.

I was upside down on the start of the biggest water in the UK.  All my rolls failed.  I pulled the spray deck and was swimming. 

As I came to the surface (grid NN 371 807) and saw the massive hydrology in front of me, I thought, “Oh my god!”.

I held on to my boat for my life!

The water was chocolate brown and was travelling oh so fast. 

I was being dragged down and around.  The boat was keeping me up on the surface.  It pulled me out of ferocious holes and through big waves.  I knew my vice like grip HAD to hold. 

As the water was high it was going through the trees and they were approaching fast.  In a heartbeat I knew I had to get rid of the boat.  If the boat followed me through the trees it could have knocked me out or wrapped around me killing me in an instant.  If I let it go in front of me I would have to deal with getting through trees and a pinned boat.  As it would turn out I struggled to get through the trees on my own!

I am only too well aware of the hazard trees pose to the paddler, more so if your swimming.

I couldn’t get away from the trees.  Believe me if I could I would have.

The first tree came, I think I barrelled rolled over it.  Thankfully it was small/young one and it broke/flexed away. 

As I popped up I saw the next tree.  I couldn’t get out of the way. 

The next tree would not give an inch.  Not a centimetre or millimetre.  I was fully body wrapped round the tree.  My whole body contoured the tree with the force of the water.  If I came on to it on my back I would have been dead it a flash with my back broken.  The water was so strong.  It was pinning me to the tree with so much power.  The water crashing on my back was overwhelming, I felt it was trying to drag me further down the trunk of the tree.

This was when I thought in my mind “Iam going to die on this river!”.

The water that had me wrapped round the tree was tremendous.  I peeled off my upper arm in a bid to get free.  As I did this, the force of the water caught my arm, lower torso and pulled me deep off the tree back into the water.  But I knew I was sill in the trees.  I had to get to the surface to see where I was going.  As I came back up I saw a further line of three trees.  I knew I had to get on my back and swim.  I could only manage about six inches to river left.  It was enough for me to parry with my feet off the tree trunk to get round the group of three trees.  As I did this I think I barrelled rolled on to the last tree of the section. 

I was free from the trees and shouted out aloud “Iam going to die on this river, I don’t want to die!”

At this stage I felt so alone.  So alone!   I had no one.  I had used so much energy getting through and free from the trees I was at my tether and saw more trees coming fast. 

I used almost what I had left of me to swim into the main current.  This was grade four I was swimming in to.  I had to, the trees were going to kill me!

I was in the main current and had nothing left.  I was a passenger taking in water, almost at the brink.

I had swum about 800 meters at this stage and was literally dead in the water I was so exhausted and was taking in so much water. 

I was so alone, so alone with no one to see what the final seconds of my live were going to be.

Then head voices on the river left.

A flash of yellow and I saw Craigs boat.  Craig shouted and I grabbed the front of the boat.  I moved to the back of it. 

Craig looked round at me and gave me a high five hand shake.

The sense of relief was overwhelming.  I felt safe but was still in the river. 

I screamed at Craig “you’ve got to get me off the river or Iam going to die on it!”.  I was exhausted!

I held on to the back of his boat as my life depended on it.

I thought of, what would I do if he capsized with me holding onto his boat.  Was I in a position to help him up.  I thought I was, or would like to think I was.  But, in reflection, I couldn’t even help myself.  I was dead in the water with only a small light left burning.

I thought of Drew Milroy hanging on to the back of Grant Milroys boat on the River Airy and Drew pushing Grant into the safety of an eddy.  I didn’t think I was strong enough to do this and would have selfishly clung on to Craigs boat regardless of the outcome.  I really was clinging on by a thread.

I shouted to Craig again, “Craig!, you’ve got to get me off this river or I am going to die!”. 

I knew Craig was doing what I would have done.  Console the casualty and wait for the right moment.  He had me, dead weight, on the back of his boat paddling about another 800m of grade four, he was totally controlled and focused. 

I saw a relatively slack piece of water he was heading for.  This was my chance.  Craig paddled towards it with power and determination, I felt like being on the back of a power boat being pulled through the water.  The moment came when I let go of his boat and swam to the bank, as my life depended on it. 

I felt for the first time in about 1500m of grade four a calm and smoothness from the water reassuring me in the eddy.  I could feel rocks on my toes.  The bank was about 2 meters away (grid NN 358 801).

As I stretched to get myself on the bank the relief was overwhelming and shock set in.  I could feel my whole body convulse.  My stomach was wretching through my throat.  I started to shake, violently at times.  I cried uncontrollably for about 40mins.  The reality of swimming through the trees and being body wrapped set in. 

But, I was alive.  Craig and Ian comforted me with hugs and reassuring words.  I think I was a quivering mass of jelly for some time on the bank. 

We left the two boats at the side of the bank and walked off the water. 

The police were contacted to let them know there was a boat loose on the Spean.  I called Arlene, my wife,  to let her know, in case someone called the house, as my contact information is on the boat.

I guess the rest of Saturday I was an emotional wreck!  I paddled, a grade three on Sunday as I knew I had to get back on the horse.  I still had a wee bubble to myself on the water.

The following days after I was still raw. 

 

I guess, we look at people and know who we can trust when you’re up the creek without a paddle.  On Saturday 12th November 2005, whilst I was paddling on the Spean with Craig and Ian.  I was up the creek.  My life was in there hands.  Craig Dearing saved me, a lifeless sole, from the brink. Ian Letton, was compassionate with his reassuring words to me.  I’ll be forever in their debt!

So what of the story?  Why tell this?

On reflection, throughout my lengthy swim and tree dogging saga I consciously stayed switched on.  Or I thought I did.  I made two key decisions.  The first was to ditch the boat before I swam thorough the trees.  The second was to swim into the main current, as ferocious as it was, away from the second set of trees.
As I was body wrapped around the tree, I did my best to stay focused and do what I had to do with the precious air in my lungs to free myself. 
I clinged onto Craigs boat for my life and ‘begged’ him to get me off the river. 
I stayed switched on and focused my efforts in doing what I needed to do, I didn’t give up. 

I guess, what I would say, if you find yourself in your own life threatening epic.  Regardless of on the water or not.  Stay switched on, prioritise, think and act.  Never give up, if there is a chance, keep fighting.

James Fleming