2 Canoeists Rescued, Feel Lucky To Be Alive ‘We Did A Very Dumb Thing,’ Man Says After Surviving Chilly Spill In Clearwater River

That’s odd, Mike Kirschbaum thought when he saw a red boat bobbing in Idaho’s Clearwater River. Must be some kind of rescue practice under way.

But it was no practice. The two guys clinging to the capsized canoe on Monday afternoon were struggling for their lives.

On Tuesday, Jack Alilunas and Rich Scott were grateful to be alive and to know that there still are people like Kirschbaum who stop to help strangers. They also were eager, if embarrassed, to have others learn from their experience.

“If anything, set us up as fools,” Scott told a reporter. “We did a very dumb thing, and we’re very fortunate.”

It was a mistake, the men said, for novice canoeists to go out on an unfamiliar river in frigid conditions.

Scott, 47, lives in Pullman. Alilunas, 48, lives in Moscow. Both work at Washington State University.

Alilunas, the adventuresome type, persuaded his hiking buddy to spend their holiday canoeing the Clearwater.

The day started out OK.

An experienced paddler joined them for a morning run down a calm stretch of river outside of Lewiston. He made sure Alilunas and Scott had extra clothes in a waterproof bag, secured to the boat. To retain body heat, the men wore plastic garbage bags under their life jackets and over layers of winter clothes.

On their own for the afternoon, the pair decided to tackle a stretch of river farther east. They spotted no rapids as they drove along U.S. Highway 12, which is right above the river.

But the rough water was there - just hiding behind a concrete highway barrier.

“I’ve only been canoeing with my wife since last August on lakes and reservoirs. I did not intend to hit any rapids,” said Alilunas. “We put in, and before we know it, we see this water ahead.”

There was calm water to the right. But the current pulled Alilunas’ canoe left toward the waves.

“We took the first two like a roller coaster,” he said. “Then we took the third one, and we went slowly over on our side. Just before we flipped, I knew it was coming. It was like slow motion.”

The men clung to their upturned canoe where chunks of ice had floated only days before. They hung onto their paddles but couldn’t get leverage to move the canoe toward shore. Kicking didn’t help either.

“I could sense the first signs of hypothermia,” Scott recalled. “My fingers were getting numb and my legs were getting tired.”

Finally, Scott was able to climb on top of the canoe and ride it “like a whale” as he paddled.

As they approached the south shore, Kirschbaum threw them an extension cord. He had grabbed the makeshift rescue line at the nearby Glenn Williams home, where he’d gone to call 911.

Kirschbaum works for a Spokane painting contractor. Once he had helped the pair out of the water, he used furniture blankets from his van to wrap the shivering men. Among other motorists who stopped was a woman who lent her coat and hat.

Before long, the canoeists were standing in both showers at the Williams home. Their clothes were tumbling in the dryer.

The men were glad they didn’t land on the hard-to-reach opposite shore.

They were in the water six or seven minutes. A doctor told Alilunas that 10 minutes could have killed them.

“If you’re in a canoe and you’re not in a dry suit, you’re taking a very serious risk at the temperature of the water and the air right now,” said Andrew Brewer, president of the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club.

Dry suits, worn on top of warm clothing, seal out water. Experts recommend them if the combined water and air temperature adds up to 70 or below. When the total is between 70 and 100 degrees, experts recommend neoprene wet suits. Those insulate by keeping a warmed layer of water against the body.

“Dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature,” Brewer said. “Jump in a cold shower in your street clothes and walk outside. That’s what it’s going to feel like” if you swim.

Brad Andersen, manager of Northwest River Supplies in Moscow, made these suggestions:

Have more than one boat in case one gets in trouble. Don’t just wear life vests; make sure they’re properly fitted. Scout the river by foot if necessary to know what you’re getting into.

“If you’re a novice, the winter runoff is not a particularly good time to get your skills up,” Andersen said. “Wait until summer when there are more people on the river and the water’s a little calmer.”

That message has sunk in for Alilunas.

“I’m not going to do river canoeing on fast water unless it’s some dinky little river in 90-degree weather.”