Not for the faint of heart

On the way to Leon we pass through the mountains and drive right next to the Sellas River, where there are always some canoes. In the best weather, we also feel like paddling some whitewater for a few hours and we keep an eye out for an opportunity. In the town of Les Arriondes it seems possible, here everything is full of canoes, unfortunately we are too late for today, the tours always start in the morning between 11 am and 1 pm. We stay at the campsite and plan to go paddling the next day. It rains at night and the morning starts cloudy and uncomfortable, no one really feels like canoeing anymore. Since we arrived on Friday and there are also many Spanish short vacationers with us, who apparently all want to go to the river, we have actually given up on the adventure, but when the sun comes out, everyone wants to get on the water. Equipped with suitable equipment and a picnic, we're off. However, my enthusiasm is limited when I find myself on the river with what feels like hundreds of other boats, mostly young people who want to party rather than enjoy nature. Left and right of the river, there are party tents with loud music and alcoholic drinks passing by at larger intervals, which free a large part of the party people from the river, so that with every additional paddled meter it becomes quieter on the Sellas. We enjoy the ride. The effort is limited because there is quite a current and we are confident that we can cover the 15 km in 4 hours. Joni and I share a canoe and Gerhard and Con are in the other one. We go over smaller rapids, look for fish in the river, make stops on sandy or rocky banks, or simply enjoy the great mountain scenery around us. After about half of the distance, we take a longer break and enjoy the bread we brought along. After the strength has returned, Joni really wants to ride with dad in the boat, so we switch teams. Gerhard and Joni have already left before we can get off the sandbank. I still see them disappear around a bend in the river about 30 meters ahead of us. Con and I, we still have to find ourselves as a team, slowly paddle along the river until we also go around the bend and I see that a boat has capsized in the rapids ahead, our boat, with Gerhard and Joni. I panic, see Gerhard, but cannot find Joni in his yellow life jacket. I shout at Con and myself: Faster! It's terrible when you are still so far away and cannot help because I immediately realize that help is needed because I can't see Joni! But we give our all and get closer, I also call for help because we are still not alone on the river, thank God in this moment I can only say, because the others also see the capsized boat. Suddenly, we're still not there, Joni appears next to Gerhard, what a relief. Gerhard, who has been holding onto the boat the whole time, now lets go and only holds the panicking, screaming Joni in his arms. We are finally there too, Con takes care of our boat, I take Joni, who is still screaming loudly, Gerhard cannot stand up alone, he is injured in his knees or foot, but now other people are also there to help Gerhard up, and retrieve the second boat, paddles, and our shoes. They ask if we still need help, they are very friendly and helpful, but we are happy that we are all sitting together and need some rest after this shock. So we stay by ourselves, Joni slowly calms down again, and we watch the hustle and bustle on the river, many people capsize at this spot, but adults can somehow still help themselves in waist-high water, although it's not the depth of the water but the speed that is the problem. Gerhard tells the whole story again in detail, how the boat tilted to the side, but he couldn't balance it anymore, how it capsized and Joni got under the boat and he couldn't see him either and he could somehow hold onto the boat because he thought that if Joni is inside, he has to hold onto it with all his strength and then suddenly he saw a little arm and was able to pull Joni out. What a story. I was so happy and grateful that everything turned out so well. But we had to continue, no one could pick us up here, except for many bruises, Gerhard hadn't broken anything. So everyone back in the boats, Joni understandably, reluctantly, with a depressed mood, we continued on the rest of the route. Joni, who is usually so lively, sat in shock at the front of the boat for over an hour and didn't say a word anymore, and the rest of us naturally carried the fear with us. We stayed close together and also made it safely to the finish, but the fright is still in our bones. Gerhard got two dark blue toes, two swollen knees, and a large bruise on his stomach for his life-saving effort. Many thanks from all of us!