Page 77 - "Mississippi in the 1st Person" - Michael James Stone (Demo/Free)

Slow Motion. That was the only way to describe it. Slow motion. Normally a responder to
stress and swift to action I stood in horror as I turned to look and see downriver again.

The eagle was gone but there before me were both kayaks and a slack tow rope between the

yellow kayak closest to me and the white and blue kayak ten feet on……

TEN SHORT FEET OF TOW ROPE GONE SLACK.

The Sea Eagle 370 “Eloquence” prone to floating high in the water no matter how you loaded
her down. Sea Eagle 370 “Eloquence” backing down the river connected to the other kayak,

then connected to me. Sea Eagle 370 “Eloquence” a Class 3 white water rated kayak was sit-
ting astride the current in the river.

Broadside.

It was funny even as it occurred feeling like I was the 3rd person inside myself watching and at

the same time experiencing time and space slow down while apparently my mind raced at light
speed.

“NOOOO”

I yelled as I watched the water of the current splashing against the side tube of the kayak.

Frame by frame I heard the echo of the words in my mind but the still shots of one by one tilt
of the Sea Eagle going over like a giant battleship slowly sinking was magnificent in the tragic.

So Slow it crawled over to it’s side almost in stop gap actions shots. The horror in my voice

did not out weigh the sheer admiration of the moment as the Sea Eagle 370 ‘Eloquence’ rolled
over exposing its hull to the downriver current and rested as if napping sideways.

Time returned to normal and long years of crisis management and too many years of experi-

ence in adventures prevented me from further stupid mistakes.

Mississippi was teaching me a valuable lesson and though I knew it in a common sort of way, I
was yet to learn how serious the River was to teach me not to blink. Not to turn away. Not to

ignore the river ever, not even for a moment.

Walking forward slowly to the close Kayak, I took the anchor line and disconnected the leash
line connected to me and the tow line connected to the other kayak, and pulled “Kayakanoe” to

the bank and tied him off.

Unlike others, one of my kayaks was a he and the other a she.

Walking up to the tipped kayak I could only be amused at my own patience now. If I had not
been in a hurry to get to Wanagan, or I had not watched the eagle……..the if’s I ignored be-

cause I had never lived there, but taken each circumstance as they were and used them.