Rafting in Gifu

Sunday I went rafting in Gifu Prefecture on the Nagara River with a group of friends from Tokyo and Tahara. I knew it would be an exciting day on the river, but I had no idea how truly memorable it would turn out.

My good friend from Tokyo Mark Hallberg and his two twelve year old twin sons Ethan and Kai came to visit me in Heiwa-cho Saturday night. We stayed up late playing Yahtzee, watching School of Rock, and eating enough potato chips to totally disregard diner.


Mark with sons Kai and Ethan

We woke up early to an overcast but bright morning and drove about two hours north into Gifu Prefecture to meet our friends Jason and Haruka from Tahara at a rest area off the highway. They were traveling with friends Yama-chan and Naomi, a couple from Tokyo.


Jason gearing up

At the rest area we also met up with our rafting guide Christian Neesham. Christian and I work for the same English teaching company, and he recently started his own outdoors business called Adventure Spirit to supplement his income and have lots of fun on weekends.


Christian getting organized

I usually give Christian a hard time. He claims to be from Melbourne, Australia, but I think he's really a space invader from Planet Macheesemo. He wears a diamond studded earring, a magical crystal necklace, and always talks about things that sound ridiculous to me; like claiming to be the undisputed King of Playboys in Japan. Basically, I don't understand him, but his efforts on Sunday deserve credit, gratitude, and newfound respect.

Not only did he successfully guide us straight through the guts of every rapid on our 20km trip (occasionally showing off with 360 degree spins and once we even popped a wheelie with the raft!), but also most importantly he headed up an emergency river rescue effort.

As we came through the last and roughest rapids of the day, we spotted a young Japanese guy named Hide (his name was taped across his helmet) clinging to a mid-sized rock in the middle of the rushing river. Christian masterfully maneuvered our raft in behind Hide and jumped out to discover the problem.

Hide was on a professionally guided tour, but he'd been tossed from his raft and suffered a compound fracture just above his right ankle. His foot was flapping in the strong current as he yelled in pain and hung onto the rock for dear life.

Christian and Jason tried to comfort him as the rest of our crew searched through Christian's first aid kit for an inflatable air cast. Once the air cast was in place Hide calmed down a little.

Yama-chan and I were able to pull our raft into the rushing current using bow and stern lines around the rock and stabilize it. Then, Christian and I lifted Hide onto our shoulders and into the boat while Jason braced the air cast as best he could.

We paddled down stream a bit where an entourage of waiting paramedics, police, and Hide's previous rafting guides met us. He was immediately placed on a stretcher, carried up the sandy riverbank to an ambulance, and taken to the nearest hospital, I presume.


Rescue Rafting Crew

Our crew was pretty shaken up after all that, so we went to a nearby onsen (hot spring) to relax in a hot bath and reflect on our fine teamwork and the possible outcomes had we not been there to help Hide.

What a day!