Several weeks ago my buddies Kennet and Connor were just messing around on the Sky and decided to attain and walk their way up the river to the base of Sunset Falls, where they saw the most surprising thing happen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz02gAnB_Dk&feature=related

Hallelujah!

Yeah, from what I understand the guy had inhaled some water, but was otherwise completely unharmed. I wonder how often this kind of stuff happens and we just never find out about it...

Haha, TOP THAT ROB M and all the rest of you guys that use all kinds of pfds and helmets and saftey gear....this guy is the real hero!!!!

If I had girlfriends that cute I would have jumped in to impress them too!!!

That is indeed a miracle if I ever heard of one....

And Arno, not to get crazy philosophical or theological but here's a one word answer (or is it two?):   Freewill 

http://youtu.be/ho-UTvQmoDg

Sick Jamz though.

That is just amazing and truly miraculous that he is OK - I also can't believe this wasn't PP fodder earlier on! :)

POW: Exactly why I don't think belief systems are a topic best discussed online. The complexity and emotion in the subject makes it hard enough for people to discuss in person let alone on the internet where so much of our communication methods are removed.

It is conveniece that allows the faithful to credit "god" with good luck, and blame "evil" for when situations turn out less favorable.

The kid is lucky to be alive, for sure. Giving unknown deities credit may encourage people to huck with false promise of safety (a stretch, for sure, but just making a point: sometimes the unprepared are lucky, other times the prepared are unlucky-we in the north east had some people die recently in the floods, and one was an experienced boater).

That's not to mention Boyce on the Payette (where the north east lost S. Forster, a talented 19 year old kayaker).

Experience and dumb luck don't always coincide, and even the best intention of any decision can end poorly if unseen variables have their way.

On the other hand, would the emotional young lady in the video be cursing the devil if the situation had a less than favorable outcome?

In the north east there has been a rash of people overstepping their bounds in whitewater, usually no PFD or helmet in a tube on Cl III, but the witness is the same: non boater people are not respecting the power of rivers and are getting hurt. This is only going to be more prevalent in areas with easier accessibility. That said, the more detached people become from their surroundings, the less they will understand the power of said environments, and the more likely they are to be victims of their own unknowing.

I see my typo and it's embarrassing in this post... "had A hard question"

Can somebody nuke this post and change that so I don't look like the dork that I actually am?  I'm guessing that there is no higher power to appeal to than the moderators on this issue   On second thought let it stand to show that man is flawed

On a paddling note though...  Wow, I've stood there many times and wondered what would happen if that happened.  I'm guessing that dude is an awesome swimmer, bouncy and pretty lucky!

Woah!

Replace driving a car with swimming:
http://i.imgur.com/GxReE.jpg

I'm not curious about whether or not God did intervene, but how. I mean, was he not paying attention until he heard the screams and then he decided he should do something about it? Like revive him AFTER he died. Did he, just for a moment, transform the granite bedrock of Sunset Falls into some kind of flexible plastic, like what waterslide parks use, so the thud of a bouncing body woudln't be fatal? Or perhaps he went another route. Perhaps he armored the kid with invisible body armor, so he could withstand the impacts? Or maybe God was scouting Sunset Falls himself, found a line and let the kid guinea pig the line for him. (Hey, I have no problem with this solution. I do it all the time on the river).

Sometimes I think people get more upset about people having a debate than the debaters themselves.  This happens to me all the time online.  I will be having a heated debate with someone who actually enjoys a heated debate and 10 people will come on there telling us to cool it down and stop expressing our opinions.  This is usually with politics or religion.

This is BS, unAmerican and un-professor paddle like if you ask me.  If you don't like people debating the existence of God or if you get offended if people don't believe in your god then DONT READ THE POST OR THREAD.  Its really that easy. 

I believe that debate is what helps us learn and evolve.  Some might not want our beliefs and religions to evolve and those are usually the first ones to stifle debate.

Please debate about the existence of God if you have someone to debate with you.  Do it on the street corner, in your home, or on PP. 

I am in fact an Agnostic.  Although I wouldn't be stoked about some Christian folks coming on here and preaching about God I wouldn't try to shut them up.  I might try to engage a debate but I wouldn't tell them to stop expressing their opinion, especially if they are having a dialouge with someone on-line.  If I got sick of them, well , then I wouldn't read their posts!!!

Its usually people who are deep seeded and stoic in their beliefs who try to shut down debate.  These kind of folks don't like challenges to their beliefs and the way they were raised. 

I'm always open to debate and discussion.  Anywhere, anytime.

Love,
Horner