An experienced kayaker has thanked his colleagues for saving his life after he almost drowned and needed to be resuscitated.
The kayaker, James Shimzu, described his recent encounter with a notorious river rapid as “his closest call kayaking” in an Instagram post.
Shimzu said he was paddling along the Little White Salmon river in Washington state about two weeks ago when he overturned in his kayak.
He was forced underwater for more than three minutes and fell unconscious. The video shows him being pulled from the water after three minutes by four of his colleagues who were with him.
The notorious Chaos rapid where Shimszu was pulled under is among many along the stretch of the Little White Salmon.
It is considered to be among the most dangerous of the water features on the river – a tributary of the Columbia river – because it sits underneath a 30-foot waterfall.
The fierce rapids are known to have injured and have reportedly killed kayakers. Those who are less experienced choose to avoid the section.
Shimzu in his Instagram post: “I flipped in the seam above Chaos on the Little White and got knocked out”.
“I floated around unconscious in Chaos until Andrew Morrissey, Spirit Hiker Michael, Mary Morgan and Gavin Jostad pulled me out, gave me CPR and brought me back.”
“Were it not for their swift actions I would not be here today,” Shimzu added. “Happy to be alive and to get back on the water in the coming weeks!!!”
The accident happened not far from the town of Hood River, across the water and state line in Oregon.
The Instagram post has since seen more 25,000 views and dozens have commented with their praise for Shimzu’s colleagues.
