Mountain Home family help save the life of a man drowning in the Snake River

Mountain Home family help save the life of a man drowning in the Snake River

GUESTS DOWN THERIVER OF NORETURN.A MOUNTAIN HOMEFAMILY RECENTLYDECIDED TO TAKE ATRIP TO TWIN FALLSBUT WHAT THEYDIDN'T KNOW ABOUTTHIS TRIP IS THEYWOULD END UPSAVING SOMEONE'SLIFE...IDAHO NEWS 6REPORTERSTEPHANIE GARIBAYTELLS US MOREABOUT THEMIRACULOUSRESCUE.IT STARTED OFF AS ANORMAL FAMILY TRIPTO TWINFALLS...RACHELLERUFFING AND HERFAMILY WENT PADDLEBOARDING IN THESNAKE RIVER ANDTOOK ASELFIE...THAT'SWHEN THEY NOTICEDAN EMPTY KAYAKRIGHT BEHIND THEM"AND I JUST MADEAN ASSUMPTION ORCONCLUSION THATSOMEBODY WASSUPPOSED TO BE INTHAT KAYAK ANDTHEN I JUST WAITEDAND I STARTEDPADDLING AS FASTAS I COULD IN MYKAYAK TO GET OVERTO THE KAYAK."THE KAYAKBELONGED TOBRENDON LEASEWHO WAS ON AROADTRIP WITHSOME FRIENDS...HEDECIDED TO GOKAYAKING BUT THECURRENTS AT PILLARFALLS MADE HISKAYAK FLIPOVER....RACHELLETELLS US AFTER 3 TO5 MINUTES OFNOTICING THE KAYAKTHEY FOUNDBRENDON'SBODY...BY THAT TIMEHIS LUNGS HAD BEENFILLED WITHWATER...STILLRACHELLE'SDAUGHTERSBOYFRIEND SWAMOVER TO RETRIEVETHE BODY"I REMEMBERDISTINCTLY I HAD ABIRD'S EYE VIEW OFALEX PULLINGBRENDON OUT OFTHE WATER, IREMEMBER MY EYESWERE JUST BIG AND IWAS JUST IN SHOCKLIKE HOW DID HEPULL HIM OUT?"NEXT TO THEM WAS APONTOON BOATFILLED WITH AGROUP OFPEOPLE...THEY PUTBRENDON'S BODY ONTHE BOAT WHERERACHELLE STARTSCPR...WHILE HER 13YEAR OLD DAUGHTERCALLED911...ANOTHERPERSON ON THEBOAT HELPEDRACHELLE DO CPRAND AFTER A COUPLEMINUTES BRENDONSTARTED COUGHINGUP WATER ANDBEGAN TAKINGBREATHS"WHAT PEOPLE THATHAVEN'T DONE CPRDON'T REALIZE ISTHAT THERE IS ALSOA LOT OF TRAUMAAND THERE'S SCARYPARTS TO IT."RACHELLE SAYS SHESPENT THE NIGHTWORRYING ABOUTBRENDON....AND THEFOLLOWING DAY SHEWAS ABLE TO MEETHIM FACE TO FACEFOR THE FIRST TIME"AND THEN HISBUDDY SAID, THAT'STHE ONE AND THENHE JUST EMBRACEDME AND THERE WEREA LOT OF TEARS.

IDON'T THINK THEREWAS A DRY EYE, YOUJUST FEELCONNECTED TO HIM."THIS WAS ALSO NOTTHE FIRST TIMERACHELLE HAS HADTO CPR ON APERSON...BACK IN1994 SHE HELPEDSAVE HERGRANDFATHER'S LIFE"IT HAS CAUSED METO DO A LOT OFSOUL SEARCHINGAND I THINK ANYTIMEYOU GO THROUGHSOMETHING THAT ISLIFE CHANGING LIKETHAT IT HAS CAUSEDME TO REALLYEVALUATE MYCHOICES."HAVING SAVED THELIVES OF TWOPEOPLE SHE SAYSSHE WANTS PEOPLETO UNDERSTANDHOW IMPORTANT IT ISTO KNOW CPR.IN TWIN FALLS IMSTEPHANIE GARIBAY.