KUNA, Idaho — What was supposed to be a fun weekend float down Indian Creek in Kuna quickly turned into a life-or-death situation for a Caldwell woman when her raft flipped and she became stranded in trees along the creek.
“I went over a rapid thinking I’ll be fine and I wasn’t. I flipped over backwards in my tube and just started drowning," said Ashlynn Monroe
She believes she was stuck underwater for about 40 seconds before grabbing a branch strong enough to pull herself up.
“I was panicking. I was panicking like my first thought when I first flipped is you’re gonna die, you’re gonna die like this is it," said Monroe.
WATCH | Hear from Monroe and the firefighter who helped rescue her
Monroe held onto the trees and yelled for help while a nearby neighbor called Kuna Fire. Crews then began setting up a rescue operation.
“I introduce myself actually just like how you were a normal person at the grocery store. Hi hi my name is Trenton. What’s yours?," said Firefighter Trenton Hogan — the who swam across the rapids to rescue Monroe.
“The way I found her was she was lodged under some debris with trees, so her main issue was that the current was pushing her into trees and overhang on the creek and she couldn’t get out herself," said Hogan.
After getting Monroe into a life jacket, Hogan and his team used a rope rescue technique known as a pendulum to bring her to safety.
“They hold on as anchors on the other side so basically they stay stationary we become loose and then we swing on over through the current," said Hogan.
Crews were able to safely bring Monroe to dry land, where paramedics made sure she was okay.
“This is what we trained for, and I felt confident in myself and I’m really thankful that we have the right equipment to do so," said Hogan.
Just weeks ago, Kuna Fire conducted training exercises for water rescues ahead of float season.
RELATED | Kuna Fire trains for swift water rescues ahead of busy summer on Indian Creek
“It was scary. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life," said Monroe.
While filming the story, Neighborhood Reporter Brady Caskey watched as a family capsized at the same spot where Monroe got into trouble, sending a baby wearing a life jacket into the water and leaving several people stranded in different areas of the creek.
Kuna Fire says the safest option is to avoid floating Indian Creek altogether. For those who choose to float, firefighters recommend wearing a properly fitted life jacket and going with an experienced guide.
