Dammed kids

[eauclaireliberal]

Its my day off, so the Mrs. and I are running around town. She's talking to her friend on her cell as we pass three kids-the oldest is about ten, the other two a boy and a girl, about 5 and 6-crossing Galloway with a teddy bear, a wooden paddle and a half-inflated Coleman raft towards the Eau Claire river.

"Hold on, Mary...I've got to pull over and call the cops. There are three kids about to get themselves killed."

She pulls the car over, calls 911. After a few minutes, I tell her "by the time they get here, it will be too late....I'm going down there."

I get out, cross Galloway and begin the climb down-a steep cliff covered with trees. My body isin't what it used to be, but I go down.

Sure enough, they are in the water, about 20 feet from the shore. Like any other deep river, the EC has a wicked current.

"Hey" I say to them, "you guys know what an undertow is?"

The oldest responds: "No."

So how do I respond? Simple:

"an undertow is one of those things that pulls little kids to the bottom of a river and doesn't let them go."

They got wide-eyed.

"do you now understand what I'm saying?"

"yes sir."

"Then start paddling back here before you get yourselves killed. Now."

"yes sir."

I got up to my calves in water helping them out. I then walked with them up to the top, dragging their raft. From what I gathered, they would have been at the bottom of the EC in a matter of minutes.

I walk them home, across the street. "you go camping with your dad?" I ask Alex, the oldest of the three

"Yes."

"Good. You need to wait until the two of you go camping again to use this, okay? You have to have a grown-up."

"Yes sir."

Oh, by the way...we are about to leave when the ECPD shows up. What does he want? Just our names and adresses. Yeah, so much for protecting the children.

[rockymountaindem]

1. Since kids are taught to fear strangers, I'm surprised they didn't paddle *away* from you

[rateyes]

2. Thank you for saving those kids' lives...

you are a genuine hero. :yourock:

[cally]

3. Thank you

You saved those kids lives. They might not know that, their parents might never find out, but we know. Thanks. :hug:

[crim son]

4. Every parent should be grateful for people like you.

Thank you, on behalf of all of us!

[hickman]

5. Good job, eauclaireliberal, You did what you could do,

and you did it well. Don't get me started about the crap I've seen in the last few years. I'm becoming the neighborhood bitch.

[eauclaireliberal]

6. Thanks

When I got home, I was pissed at the response time of that cop. I mean, what the fuck? What was he going to do? Actually climb down there? Yeah right. In the last two years, three University of Wisconsin Eau Claire students drowned in the Chippewa. Cops waited until the banks could be sifted to find their bodies.

The best moment came when Cindy interrupted the cop to say "officer, I am a respiratory therapist at Luther Hospital-I'd just assume not see any more dead kids from water-filled lungs." Yessir, that's my gal!

[hickman]

7. I live in a city where cops have a 3-5 minute response time.

I have nothing bad to say about them. Maybe look into getting active about training and funding for the Police. There should have been 2 or 3 cars, and the kids should have been held until their parents came for them. The parents needed to know what happened.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. Galloway - where's Galloway?

I haven't been to Eau Claire in probably close to two decades, and I'm trying to picture it - I remember the downtown area (near the university?) has Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers coming together.

I suppose I could mapquest... but that seems so, I don't know, not as fun.

[RetroLounge]

9. I know that river.

Those kids are damned lucky...

RL