by John Jefferson

We were canoeing the Guadalupe River west of New Braunfels, nearing Slumber Falls. Someone asked how the falls got that name.
I didn’t know. But to make conversation, I answered, “Because it’s put people to sleep.”

I love hearing the sound of falling water when I’m trying to go to sleep — whether I’m in a sleeping bag on the shore or in a house overlooking an ocean or stream. But some waterfalls have led people to Eternal rest. Slumber’s one.

As we approached the falls, I asked my canoe-mate-for-the-day if she had ever canoed over a waterfall before. She hadn’t. I decided we should dismount and guide our canoe over the falls with ropes. No use chancing it with an inexperienced partner.

One of the guys had the same notion and asked if I wanted to shoot the falls with him. I said, “Sure!”

Leaving the ladies on the shore, we donned our life jackets and went over the falls like we were making a movie. Several onlookers even applauded.

Back in the canoe with my canoe-mate – still reveling over our waterfall performance — and without a thought of life jackets, we reentered the water below the falls. After all, the guy and I had looked like pros. The current was somewhat swifter, but doable. Shortly downstream, its velocity increased.

Previous paddlers or tubers had turned over in the swift water and spilled a boatload of empty beverage cans. I decided to pick up their trash.

My partner agreed and reached out to grab one just as I did, too. We leaned too far, and the canoe dumped us into swift water.

We both bobbed up unharmed but separated from our canoe. No problem. Then we suddenly began moving faster! We’d just entered an unexpected stretch of rapids.

As the swift current swept me narrowly around a big rock, I wished I had put my life jacket back on. What if I hit my head on a rock?

We somehow washed through the rapids and thankfully caught up with our canoe.

But it could have ended tragically.

A TPWD news release on May 14 reported 169 boating accidents in 2024, resulting in 24 water fatalities. Twenty-two victims were NOT wearing life jackets.

My friend, Game Warden Cody Jones, assistant commander for marine enforcement, said those 22 victims were “Real people (with) real families forever changed by moments that could have been prevented… Wearing a life jacket (is) a small step that can have a life-saving impact.”

Think about that.

Memorial Day Weekend is a time to honor the men and women who died defending America from evil forces. It’s also the first big summer holiday. Many will celebrate it on Texas’ nearly two million acres of freshwater lakes and 191,000 miles of rivers and streams in their 560,000 registered boats and 359,000 unregistered kayaks, small sailboats, and paddleboards. Some of them will be careless.

Wearing a life jacket could be the difference between getting home safely … or NOT.

JJ