Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

Ran across this while I was doing research on a trip I'm planning. I always have plan for a flash flood...but this will make you re-evaluate the process. A little long, 3 parts, but great info:

http://lonestarchronicles.com/back-to-t ... -part-one/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wow! Great writeup. And a better outcome than expected. It reminded my somewhat of my great adventure on the BNR during the flood of '82. Of course I had no sat phone. Or common sense.

Thanks for sharing our story. Hopefully some of you may learn a little from our experience on the Pecos River. Another reason I wrote the piece was to showcase the river itself, which I think is one of the most scenic in the southwest.
Also, if you'd like to follow the rest of our story, please find Lone Star Chronicles on Facebook. The telling of this tale isn't quite complete yet.

Thanks, again....Bert Rodriguez

Lone Star Chronicles - Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Fish
http://lonestarchronicles.com/

Enjoyed your story Bert. It will be interesting to see if you recover any of the boats or other gear.

Thanks for sharing the story. I heard about some of the rescues a few weeks ago. I briefly met a group of guys about a year or so ago that were putting in at Joe Pool Lake. They mentioned they were planning a trip to the Pecos. I wonder if it is the same guys? Looking at the pics then the video the river was huge. Anyways, glad you guys made it out safe!

Great story, well written; I'm glad Bert decided to share it all with us so we can discuss and learn from it.

In my mind, it sparks an interesting debate on the pros and cons of "sat phones" vs. "rescue beacons" (which include the Spots). Given their circumstances, one could possibly debate whether setting off an emergency beacon would have met the criteria for their use (you can be fined for setting one off if it is not a "real" emergency). So if I had been in their shoes, I may or may not have set off the beacon. Nobody was injured (yet), nobody was hypothermic (yet), it might have been "possible" to walk out, although very grueling. On the other hand, waiting until you have heat stress or become dehydrated or have to leave somebody behind is not a great plan either. With a sat phone, you can call and explain your situation precisely, and ask for exactly the type of help you need with no chance of being accused of "crying wolf".

But on the other hand, delays in getting a good sat phone connection are not uncommon, and with a beacon or spot, there would have been no potential miscommunication, and no chance of the person requesting help getting passed around from one agency to another. The beacon signifies a very simple message that can not be misinterpreted in any way. "I'm at this location and I need help."

I guess for now I'm happy that most of my more remote river trips have both options available (sat phone and a beacon).