Respect the river

In the archives of The Spokesman-Review, there exists a typewritten document listing all drownings in the Spokane River from 1937 to 1969. On June 4, 1949, for instance, a 24-year-old waitress waded into the river at picnic grounds near Nine Mile Dam, then “slipped off a hidden ledge and was swept into deep water.”

There were 147 drownings in that time period; the number has more than doubled since 1969. Some of those who died in the river did so intentionally. But beyond suicides, most other drownings share a common theme: Surprise.

Victims underestimated the river’s power, and they overestimated their ability to fight its currents. Or they jumped in for a swim but never expected to find heart-stopping cold, especially in runoff months when the land was warm but the river hadn’t shaken off its winter chill.

The river does not give up its victims easily, either. Victims who drown in spring, during high flows, often don’t surface until late summer. Despite its many dams, the Spokane River never forgets its wild river roots.

Kiernan E. Norman, 18, is missing. His damaged canoe was found the day after he launched it just above the Devil’s Toenail rapid near the Bowl and Pitcher in Riverside State Park. That stretch of the river has a wild feel, and the rapids there are not designed for rafting amateurs. The water temperature was 36 degrees when Norman launched his canoe April 18; his body has not surfaced.

To put into perspective the temperature of the river water the day Norman disappeared, consider the story of Lynne Cox, an extreme cold-water swimmer known for endurance. In a recent New Yorker magazine article, she described her Arctic Circle swim in temperatures ranging from 28 to 34 degrees. After 10 minutes, she couldn’t her feel arms or legs; she swam by instinct.

To plunge into the Spokane River in springtime here is as close to an Arctic Circle swim as most people will ever experience. It’s a killer.

Every year, those concerned with river safety – law enforcement, marine patrols, rescue volunteers, kayakers and canoeists – try to get the message out about the basics of Spokane River survival. Experience counts; it’s not a river for novices. Wear lifejackets in boats, and don’t swim without one, either. Stay out of the river in times of high runoff. Calm shores can hide steep ledges. Be wary of the river the way you would a wild animal.

And almost every year, the river claims more victims.

The Spokane region is growing, in part because of its natural beauty, including the magnificence of the river. Newcomers to the region might be deceived by the river’s mild-mannered charm found along most of its 111-mile course. Warnings about the river’s power spread best by word of mouth. So don’t be reluctant to pass on this message: Respect the river and its tragic potential to surprise.