5 Dangerous Facts on Whitewater Rafting
Adventures are what make life interesting. The anxiety that you feel right before you make that leap, that bounce, that step, is all worth it when the adrenaline is replaced with euphoria.
Adrenaline junkies aside, everyone should challenge themselves to do something they are afraid of, at least once in their lives. One great example of a fantastic adventure is to go whitewater rafting.
However, as fun and exhilarating as the trip is, it does not come without its own set of dangers. Of course, being scared of the unknown limits us from living our lives to the fullest, but not being aware of all the facts can also leave us blindsided.
Here are some potential dangers of going whitewater rafting that you should be mindful of:
- It’s Strenuous Exercise
Assess your physical limitations before you plan a trip to go whitewater rafting. The raft needs to be rowed continuously to make its way through the fast-flowing river, so immense upper body strength is needed.
The current is also strong, and the river is crashing into your raft at incredible speeds. Only someone who has a good grip and strong shoulders, and arms should attempt at taking on the responsibility of rowing the raft.
If the person rowing the boat gets tired in the middle of the exercise, the adventure can soon turn into a travesty. Smart decisions before the start of the journey can ensure a fulfilling end.
2. Your Raft Can Crash into Rocks
Relatively speaking, whitewater rafting is much safer than some of the other outdoor sporting activities, such as horseback riding and surfing. That still does not mean that the exercise is free of all danger.
One of the most precarious elements of whitewater rafting is the terrain itself. Most rivers offering the activity also have huge boulders and sharp rocks. These rocks can brush up against you, your rafting partners, or even your rafting vessel, causing injuries whose severity may vary.
These bruises can be scary, especially with immediate medical care unavailable. When the adrenaline ebbs away, the bleeding and scars are not as much fun to look at.
3. Your Raft Can Topple Over
Because of the melted ice in the rivers, the water is inherently cold. The river is also fast-flowing, especially at the many turns it has. This means the only barrier between you, your loved ones, and icy cold water is your raft.
Rafting, even with a guide, can be a scary experience. Although rare, the chances of your raft toppling over due to a rowing accident are never zero. This means that it is best to err on the side of caution when choosing the outdoor activity to pursue on your next vacation.
Toppling can mean that other rafting partners, such as little children, can float away, be hit by rocks, or get stuck in branches or logs that fall in the river. These can cause severe injuries and may result in a medical emergency.
4. You Can Suffer from Hypothermia
Whitewater rafting is most fun during late spring to early summers. The glaciers from the frozen rivers have just thawed, and the river’s pressure is high enough to make rafting an adventure to remember.
Unless you are a maestro at the art of rafting, you have good reason to be scared. This is not an easy landscape to conquer. God forbid if you fall into the river and cannot be found immediately, a lot can happen.
Hypothermia is a condition that can occur when a person falls into chilly water. The human body loses heat 25 times faster in cold water than in cold air. Hypothermia is the accelerated loss of body heat, which most severely damages the vital organs such as the brain, heart, and lungs. Stress to these organs and the body’s inability to regain heat can result in sepsis or even cardiac arrest.
5. It Can Result in Death
Perhaps the scariest consequence of this adventurous vacation can be a rafting accident resulting in death.
While the many guides to whitewater rafting reassure prospective adventurers of the vacation’s safety, they cannot deny that it is not entirely safe.
Death as a result of drowning in the river water is an alarming but sobering reality. Your raft toppling over, being stuck in one of many features of the river, and hypothermia are all potential ways that people can and have lost their lives to this seemingly safe adventure.
Life is precious, and though adventures and risks should be faced bravely, you should always be heedful of where things can go wrong.
