Are you even a whitewater paddler if you haven’t had a near-miss experience with a commercial raft? Safety kayakers, for obvious reasons, often find themselves in close quarters with these rafts–ready to sweep up escapee clients who’ve taken accidental swims down the river.
The waterfall featured in this video is Tutea Falls, a 7-meter-high waterfall on the Kaituna River in New Zealand. The stretch has been given a class V rating due to the 3 tall waterfalls it features. Tutea Falls is the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, regularly attracting adventure-seeking visitors from around the globe.
On this occasion, a Rotorua Rafting safety kayaker was in for more than his daily near-collision with the raft. Instead, we watch the raft come barrelling down the falls and land directly on the poor fellow.
It takes an uncomfortably long time for the guide and clients to realize the boater is actually buried under their raft. It’s only after the guide and clients have all cheered at the camera, paddles raised, that the kayaker awkwardly re-emerges and rolls up.
Hilarity aside, we’re glad everyone came out of this scenario unharmed and right-side up. Watch the video below, or access it on Facebook here.
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