Camping Trip

Hello,

We went on an overnight camping trip with Brian and his children. His wife does not enjoy camping. I guess you could say we enjoyed the heat (96 F.), humidity, a few bugs and sunshine.

The biggest adventure happened late in the afternoon on the first day. Leroy and the two kids went exploring while Brian and I were sitting by the camp site relaxing when ten year old Sophia came racing into the area yelling, “Dad, Dad, come quick.”

Brian popped up and said, “Calm down. What happened?”

“Logan (aged seven) and I were showing Grandpa where you climbed down to touch the water when he fell!” Sophia exclaimed, gasping for breath.

“Who fell, Logan or Grandpa?” Brain asked.

“Grandpa!” Sophia said getting her breath back somewhat.

“Is he hurt?” Brian then wanted to know.

“I don’t know, we can’t see him.” Sophia said.

Brian took off running at that moment with Sophia following behind. I also decided I had to know and ran also but not as fast, partly because of my footwear and partly because I have not run in a long time.

When I got to the place, I could see Brian making his way down the steep, 10 to 20 foot incline. Leroy indeed was not in sight.

In a bitI could hear Brian calmly ask him, “Are you hurt?”

My heart filled with joy at his answer, “Not much.”

Brian told Leroy, “Let go of the branch and walk over here.”

Leroy said, “I do not want to get my shoes wet.”

Then I heard Brian tell Leroy, “You need to step in the water, I cannot reach you.”

Brian helped Leroy up the hill. We all went back to the campsite where cuts and scrapes on legs and arms were attended to.

Sophia felt so responsible because she has suggested that Leroy go down the “almost” path and check out the river. We, of course, did not think it was her fault.

After much talk we figured out that Leroy had gone down the first large “step” and decided to jump to the next one. Unfortunately the landing was sandy and he slipped forward, rocketing into a small tree which could not hold his weight and he went some more levels down where he ended hanging from a branch above the back water of the Root River.

The kids say that he did not answer them when they called to him, but Leroy tells me that he told them to get help. In the excitement it is hard to know the exact occurrence. I know that we people up above were thoroughly frightened. Guess Leroy was a bit shook up too, but he knew he was alive and going to get out of it all, he just did not want to have wet shoes because he had only brought one pair.

Paula