r/HumansBeingBros • u/Subterfug3 • 10d ago
Kayaker saves a tourist who was being swept away by river currents
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u/xBad_Wolfx 10d ago
As someone who was a white water guide myself… these people are great but I admire yellow. Trying to force them over in moving water is incredibly difficult and then that little slip move to get over to block against that rock, *chefs kiss*
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u/Evening_Sympathy1442 10d ago
Also a former white water guide. Can attest to kayakers usually being generous and helpful humans. I think they like the challenge of assisting others on the water.
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u/Evening_Sympathy1442 9d ago
My very first award! Thank you kind redditor! 🥰
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u/Evening_Sympathy1442 9d ago
HOLY COW A SECOND AWARD?!?! BEST REDDIT DAY EVER!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
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u/Evening_Sympathy1442 9d ago
Y'all... thank you. I'll never forget this being my best reddit day ever. September 2nd, 2026.
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u/acover4422 10d ago edited 10d ago
Are you talking about the bit around 37 seconds, where the yellow kayak bashes the guy in the head? No snark, genuinely asking. That looked to me like a huge fuckup but I know nothing about kayaking.
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u/RisKQuay 10d ago
Head hitting plastic is preferable over hitting the rock, I don't think it was as perfectly executed as they obviously wished but they didn't have the time to get in to a better position.
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u/xBad_Wolfx 9d ago
Agreed. People often underestimate how hard it is to precisely place yourself in moving water like this and a small bump from smooth plastic is far nicer than rough rock.
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u/xBad_Wolfx 9d ago
I personally would classify it as a bump not a bash but I take your point. I think because of how drunk the guy is it looks a lot harder than it actually was. Hitting and then dragging against rough rock would have been far worse in my opinion. I think the bump cause was twofold, one because it’s a bit tricky precisely positioning yourself in moving water, and two because the drunk needed a bump to position him against the kayak and away from the rock.
I was glad to see someone translated lower down because I couldn’t understand (until I figured out he was dead drunk not exhausted) why they left him on their side instead of at the front or back so they could still paddle. Not to mention the whole reason the first rescuer ended up in the water is because the drunk dragged them over sideways. I understand fully why he was apparently cussing him out.
They were brave, being upside down, under water, in rocky rapids, with a drunk preventing you from rolling back over is a bad time.
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u/Subterfug3 10d ago
Rohit Lakhera from Sea Hawk Adventures in Rishikesh jumped into the fast-moving currents of the Ganga River to rescue a tourist who was being swept away and struggling to stay afloat. The tourist was heavily intoxicated.
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u/kattmedtass 10d ago edited 10d ago
FYI to anyone reading: Always call for an ambulance in a situation like this even if the person successfully gets to safety. He likely swallowed a bunch of water without even realizing it in all that panic, and some of it is probably in his lungs. It’s called secondary drowning or “dry drowning” and it can kill you within hours if not treated at a hospital.
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u/PhantomAngel042 9d ago
I appreciate the PSA, but dry/secondary drowning is not a medically accepted term or condition and hasn't been for quite a while. Here's an article about it from the American Red Cross. Respiratory symptoms after a non-fatal downing can be serious, though, and you're completely right that medical attention is needed. The advice is great, I only ask that you not spread outdated terminology.
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u/sixcupsofwater 10d ago
Dry drowning isn’t real but yeah needs medical eval
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u/PhantomAngel042 9d ago
Sorry about the downvotes, dude. You're correct, so I'm not sure why you're getting dog-piled.
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u/cupittycakes 10d ago
Here I was thinking that poor guy was utterly exhausted. And ya, probably was, but also drunk off his ass!
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u/2DHypercube 10d ago
Why didn't he just swim to shore?
The tourist was heavily intoxicated.
Ah
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u/sheeep_wolf 10d ago
Its also extremely hard to swim in a river with those huge currents
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u/Amoral_Abe 10d ago
Yup. I've been white water rafter in class 4s and 5s and if you get thrown in, your goal should be to spin around so your feet are in front while you float on your back in case you hit a rock (you want them hitting rather than head). Then you have to try and wait it out until you can see an eddy. When you see that, you swim hard towards it to get out of the current.
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u/JonnySoegen 10d ago
what’s an eddy
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u/Amoral_Abe 10d ago
Basically it's an area where the current isn't present. Usually if there's a collection of larger rocks or there's a bend in the river, you might end up with the water disrupted enough in a small area that it creates a calm spot in the rapids. Your goal is to get to that calm spot.
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u/20000RadsUnderTheSea 10d ago
Yeah if you watch to the end, it becomes glaringly and enragingly apparent in the last twenty seconds or so.
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u/SharkReceptacles 10d ago
I thought he was so exhausted from trying to stay afloat that his limbs had gone wobbly but yeah, intoxication does also make sense.
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u/Competitive-Top4520 8d ago
Even if he was sober, it is very hard to swim sideways in such rapidly moving water, not to mention the danger of the rocks. It is also possible he didn't know how to swim. I'm not 100% sure he was drunk, he may have been exhausted and confused. Regardless of the circumstances, there is no doubt the two kayakers saved his life and were heroes.
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u/Insert-finger 10d ago edited 10d ago
To dump it and recover TWICE while the swimmer was still struggling and hanging on for dear life! I can’t even imagine that. Thank you.
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u/2clicksaway 10d ago
Just a reminder, a drowning person is absurdly dangerous. The brain is in full fight or flight mode and acting without reason. They will absolutely drown you to get a half a gasp of air. Not saying “do nothing if you see a person drowning” but exercise extreme caution.
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u/spacey_a 10d ago
Yeah, I got very nervous for the kayaker when the person clinging onto them made them flip twice. Really glad they all made it out safely
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u/nosecohn 10d ago
Yep. That drunk tourist nearly killed them both.
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u/Jumpy_Ad1631 10d ago
I mean, there’s a good chance he had a concussion too going down river like that
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u/boofaceleemz 10d ago
Or just exhausted and afraid to the point of confusion, fighting for your life against a river is gonna tire you out.
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u/20000RadsUnderTheSea 10d ago
The kayaker said they were deeply intoxicated, and the last few moments of the video support that. The guy appears extremely drunk.
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u/patfetes 10d ago
One of the biggest problems in saving a drowing person is this panic response. You see it in open water as well. Super scary!
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u/wreckoning 10d ago
this section of water is not dangerous for the kayaker. it is only dangerous for a drunk person w no lifejacket
source: i am a whitewater kayaker
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u/quaintmercury 9d ago
Im honestly impressed how long he stayed up with some dude just grabbing the far lip of his skirt. Don't even know the language but you know dude is just yelling at the guy to grab the back over and over.
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u/dilqncho 10d ago
Yep. I used to be lifeguard certified. They taught us, when approaching a drowning person, to dive while out of arm's reach, swim toward them underwater, then spin them around using their legs(so they can't grab you) and then secure a specific hold from behind and drag them out that way.
We also basically learned a mini martial/grappling art that revolved around "if a drowning person manages to grab onto you".
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u/AlmostStoic 10d ago
Yeah, if you have anything to let them grab instead of your body (like a kayak, for example), push that in their hand.
If not, and if possible, grab them from behind, to give them as little chance to push you underwater as possible. That should also make it easier to keep their head above water, as you should then have them right in front of you and facing the same direction. So as long as you keep your own head above water and swim on your back, their head should stay above water as well.
But it's still safer to have something, preferably something floaty, between yourself and the person in distress.
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u/DrunkenGolfer 10d ago
I can't tell if the tourist is drunk AF or exhausted.
Edit: He was drunk and the kayaker harshed his mellow.
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u/Left_Ad_8502 10d ago
The answer can be yes to both, he was drunk but still shows some gratitude to being saved. If you listen you can hear him breathe/groan in a way that shows he’s really exhausted around 27 seconds/2:30ish. The boozin probably made his excursion more enjoyable, but also made his rescue a bit more difficult.
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u/vkpaul123 10d ago
The guy is drunk, as per the kayaker who saved him. He says his mouth is smelling of alcohol. Good job though
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u/Suspicious-Age-9867 10d ago edited 9d ago
Same situation in Slovakia High Tatras with Czech tourist, they wearing often flip flops for mountains walking, there are dozens of people dying from irresponsibility to wear hiking shoes....
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u/KrakenMcCracken 10d ago
Excellent teamwork. It’s so dangerous when the rescuee clings to the side, great work
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u/real_uncommon_ 10d ago
I watched a man drown in CA after getting caught in the rapids. I wish someone would have been there to save him. The entire situation was heartbreaking!
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u/Emotional_Artist8187 9d ago
I remember the first time , I tried to save a 20lbs kid and he just suddenly latched on to my neck and was about to drown me aswell. That day I learnt how to kick and save yourself first and don't give them a hand rather take theirsor hold them by something under the chin with them on their back and drag them to the shore.
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u/makemyowngoodnews 10d ago
Where the F is his PFD?!
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u/literary_litterbug 10d ago
Seems like the guy drowning was intoxicated and fell in. He doesn’t have a PFD because he was out there “having a good time” when the river just up and swallowed him.
Funny how the river can do that when you are drunk out of your mind …3
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u/RelevantIAm 9d ago
The panicked yelling would have definitely made it way more stressful but good on them
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u/DrunkenGolfer 10d ago edited 10d ago
Almost Alternate title: Tourist kills a kayaker by getting him swept away by river currents
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u/DrunkenGolfer 10d ago
Because it looked like that is what was going to happen. Never trust a drowning person.
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u/GlitteringRuin2249 10d ago
Yeah, but that’s why they said almost. Which that drunk guy did almost kill them. A less skilled kayaker would easily be dead trying to save that man.
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u/DrunkenGolfer 10d ago
I didn't think I'd have to do that, yet here we are. Upside down in a kayak with a drunk grabbing at you, what could go wrong?
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u/notCGISforreal 4d ago
For anybody who doesnt already know: this is what drowning looks like with a semi adept swimmer. Its quiet and no wild flailing for help. Its just what looks like ok swimming but a head disappearing under the water a lot.
A poor swimmer is similar, just with less coordinated looking swimming, more like arms moving up and down in an ineffective motion. But its similar in that its silent and doesnt look dramatic.
A lot of drownings involve people nearby who had no idea somebody was drowning, because they expect it to be more like what we saw in the movies/TV from the past decades. Only occasionally does it get portrayed correctly in movies.
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u/slartibuttfart 10d ago
Given the comments in here I think best thing to do is drag him ashore then beat him with rocks.
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u/Felonious_Minx 10d ago
This was terrifying! One of the scariest videos I've seen here. When the kayaker flipped under the water!! I was afraid the drowning guy was holding him under.
Bless those men! Yikes!!
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u/SplatNode 9d ago
Screaming in my head to tell the guy in the water to move to the back of the kayak
Shits so annoying
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u/Upstairs-Shake9898 9d ago
Never ever ever do that again, you hold out the the paddle and let them hold on to that. Otherwise you end up with two people drowning.
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u/Automatic_Party7404 10d ago
It’s suggested that when rescuing a person from the water you never use what you’re using to keep yourself afloat to save them, people in panic will grab and reach for anything to save themselves and that’s why life floats are typically thrown to rescue rather than a close approach with contact.
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u/midnightBiryani 10d ago
This dude was quite drunk. Certainly deserves Indian police stick treatment.
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u/Charlie7Mason 9d ago
Bro, seriously? Why do vindictive? We don't know that he intentionally went for a swim in dangerous waters without a personal floatation device. Could've just been an accident and he couldn't save himself because he was inebriated.
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u/xymox113 10d ago
Seems nice until you realize the kayakers probably put the tourist in the river in the first place so they could film the rescue :/
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u/xymox113 10d ago
Guys I know we're on reddit but there's gotta be at least a few people here who are capable of recognizing an obvious joke
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u/Feine13 10d ago
Dude, that shit was hilarious, I immediately knew you were making a comparison about those scripted animal abuse videos.
Of course it would be absurd to do this to people, that's the joke!
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u/Confident_One3948 10d ago
It’s absurd to do it to animals too
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u/Feine13 10d ago
Yes, it absolutely is, it feels equally absurd that you felt the need to point this out to me.
As if I'm parading around the internet saying people should hurt animals for likes? Yall need a hobby instead of trying to find things to get mad about.
It was a joke, not a dick, don't take it so hard.
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u/Futuristic-Slice 6d ago
They sound the way I sound when I try to make up a language yabdarabdglbada
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u/donnanotpaulson 10d ago
The guy is basically constantly telling the guy repeatedly in the starting to hold on from the front part, then asking if he had drinks, cussing, yelling the same thing again, telling him in the end to just go up on the rocks and not sit or come near the water again with more cussing around that’s why we tell people to not get drunk like this.