Years ago, I'm not exactly 100% sure,
either the summer of 1979 or 1980, I went on a fishing and camping
(and drinking) trip to Kern River with my two friends Ken Robledo and
Mike Teran. Kern River was our old stomping grounds.
We fished, and we drank and we ate and
we had a good time. At some point during the trip I took a short walk
to the bank of the river. I looked across to the other side and there
was a wall of granite. From where I stood it seemed to be at enough
of a slant for someone to climb up and sit for a while. The water
seemed like a sheet of glass with very little movement.
I couldn't tell you how wide it was,
maybe as wide as boulevard. Whatever it was it looked manageable. I
dove in head first, which if you know anything about Kern River, you
know that's a big No-No. I started swimming to the other side and I
realized immediately that the current was much stronger than it
looked. I can say with all honesty, while I can swim, I am not a
great swimmer and I had been drinking. I began to tire. I should have
turned back but I figured I would rest on that giant slab of granite
before swimming back. It all seemed like a good idea at the time.
I was beyond exhausted when I reached
the other side. I tried to climb the rock but it turned out to be
steeper than I had thought. I was trying to hold back my panic. I
went up and down but there was no place for me to get a grip. On top
of that it was all slippery.
As tired and spent as I was, I had no
other choice but to swim back. I had nothing in me. I can say with
absolute certainty that I had never reached the point of tiredness
that I had at that moment. My will was gone. I knew I wasn't going to
make it and for a moment I just gave up, I didn't know what else to
do. I just gave up and I was letting the river take me.
At that moment a picture of my daughter
Meranda popped into my head. She was still a baby The thought of her
growing up without a father, without me, was more than I could take
and I began praying, “Please God..... Please God..... Please!”.
I could not describe to you how I did
it. I have no memory of it but I made it back to the other side. I
found myself gasping and heaving on the sand and dirt and rocks. My
two friends were standing on either side of me laughing. I was just
too damned tired to care. I can't say I blame them though. I must
have been a sight and without realizing what actually happened it
probably did look funny.
I was lucky I didn't break my neck or
crack my skull when I dove into the river. Many people have been
seriously injured or worse. Many have drowned swimming Kern River.
It is an unkind river. There is a sign posted at the entry way into
the canyon letting you know how many people have died. I was almost
one of them. God was watching out for me. I swear to God, I will
never swim Kern River again!
