My previous blog post about the Carretera Austral in Chile was getting too long, so I’m reporting on our rafting trip in Futaleufú separately. This cute town is located near the border with Argentina, two hours from the Carretera via a really bad dirt road. Mark and I booked a tour with Rio Futaleufú Rafting for March 3rd, which would have the least amount of rain in the forecast. We left Maya at home for six hours, a record for her, and looked forward to this exciting adventure.
(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)
I love, love, love rafting. In my book, it is the most fun and thrilling excursion one can experience; the more rambunctious and frequent the rapids, the better. The action of rushing through the water, frantically paddling to the instructions of the guide, and being one with the elements is invigorating. And that’s how this ride started out.
Our group consisted of two rafting guides, two rafts, eleven rafters, and three support crew in individual watercraft. Everyone was equipped with a wetsuit, undershirts, booties, a rain jacket, a life vest, a helmet, and a paddle.
After some instructions ashore, we practiced commands on the water and got to know each other better. Each of our six-person team had rafted before. Mark and I did so in Costa Rica 19 years ago and my first rafting trip was in New Zealand, when I backpacked in Southeast Asia and Down Under at age 25. It had been a while, since rafting isn’t cheap.
Every river is different and the Futa is famous for its high density and frequency of Class IV and Class V rapids. Mark and I had never rafted a Class V stretch of water, so we’d paid for the longer session ($92 per person, including photos) to experience them. Within the first five minutes of floating down the foamy river (the water level was quite high), we were soaking wet and loving it. We rushed through the sequences of Class IV rapids, smiling wide, and most of our group jumped down a 20-foot-high cliff just for the fun of it.
Then, it was time for the last two rapids, both Class V. Our team was relatively experienced and our local guide grew up on this river, navigating it since he was 12 years old. He gave us instructions about how to approach these furious whirlpools and we tackled the first one like champions, with Mark and me in the front, my favorite position. And then, things went wrong…
For some reason, the guide switched our places for the second stretch of white water, our craft set out, Mark and I in the middle, and then everything passed by in a flash. The raft got stuck in “a hole” of foam, sideways against a wall of angry water. I was tossed out of the raft, followed by Mark and eventually every member of our group; the guide struggling to remain in the boat for ages and bring it to safety. Here is how that looked:
The river grabbed me, pulled me under, and dragged me downriver for what seemed like ages. I couldn’t breathe and when my head finally popped up, no air was available for my water-filled lungs. Then, I got dragged under again. This went on for long minutes. This particular series of rapids covered a respectable distance, as you can see in the following movie. (We were tossed out in the first rapid and could only get help at the bottom, in calmer water.)
All I could think about was getting air. Not being able to breathe for who knows how long was seriously scary and I honestly thought I was going to die. A first for me, despite other crazy experiences I endured over the years, like bungee jumping and sky diving in New Zealand, jumping off a bridge on a rope in Ecuador, paragliding in Colombia, climbing along narrow ledges in Mexico, crossing rivers over tree trunks in Indonesia, and having a knife pressed against my throat in Colombia.
(Note to self: None of this happened during our eight years of sailing the world’s “dangerous” oceans.)
Luckily, because of the reputation of the Futaleufú River, rafting excursions come with an extensive safety network and regulations. While we might have thought that two catamaran rafts and one kayaker to watch over two rafts (11 tourists) was overkill, everyone was involved in the rescue of our six rafters, including the second raft, which only contained the guide by then as his group decided to skip the Class V section of river.
From the moment I spotted one of the small catamarans, I grabbed a line on the side and tried to catch my breath. It seemed impossible, since my lungs were waterlocked. My rescuer already had two of us in his nets and urged me to climb up. I made my way to the front of the craft, but lacked the strength to haul myself and my heavy, water-soaked clothes aboard. For some reason, my arms were useless and I kept coughing in order to breathe. I felt helpless and “done.”
Another rafter tried to haul me up and with the last bit of energy, I managed to swing one leg over a hull and push myself into the net like that. Lying on a steel bar with my midriff, not able to breathe, was uncomfortable to say the least.
This man now had to bring three extra people to the safety of shore, by paddling upstream… It was a gigantic effort, but he succeeded. Once I relaxed and got my breathing back, I worried about Mark – who had gone through a similar experience – and looked around for him. He and another girl were tied to shore on the other catamaran. I soon reached my husband, still shocked and trembling. The sixth rafter had been rescued as well.
After confirming we were all okay, our captain tied his craft up as well and climbed the nearby rock to see how our guide, Pampa, made out. Soon enough, the crew regrouped and we were ready for the final stretch of river. Or were we? Everyone seemed surprised we had to climb back into our raft after this disaster. Of course, it made sense to complete the trip, but our minds felt tricked.
Back in the raft after our inadvertent plunge
So, it was no wonder that, when we approached the final series of small rapids and Pampa suggested this was the place where rafters are invited to jump in the water and ride the river to the end, none of us took him up on that offer. We’d all had our ride of and for a lifetime!
Back in Futaleufú, we were relieved that Maya was okay and didn’t destroy anything in the camper during our absence. We have gotten smarter by not leaving any paper products or books within her reach. Exhausted, sore, and still a tad shaken, we focused on our next task: locating the SAG (agricultural) office to inquire about international paperwork for our dog. We found it at 4pm. Closed. At least, we now knew this office existed and we’d return in the morning. Mark and I were still adamant about trying to cross the border into Argentina again instead of returning to the Carretera Austral.
Next up: March 2025’s expense report.
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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March 30, 2025 at 16:19
Holy smokes! I have not rafted in decades and might not ever again after your story and a similar experience our daughter had on the Nile. Glad you are both OK!
April 2, 2025 at 16:58
Thanks, Lexie. It was super scary. And not a frequent occurrence, luckily. Sorry to read about your daughter having a similar experience. I thought the Nile was a slow-moving river…
April 5, 2025 at 20:12
In Egypt it may be, but in parts of Africa the rapids are very big! Our daughter and all of her raft mates were thrown out into schistosomiasis-laden water and almost drowned! Her pregnant co-worker got trapped under the raft for many minutes. Yikes. (She and her baby were fine.) Your trip looks just as frightening.
April 8, 2025 at 09:14
Wow, Lexie. That sounds terrible! I hope nobody contracted any diseases after that unfortunate occurrence. Crazy and scary indeed! I guess the picture of the Nile in my head is a warped one.
March 30, 2025 at 16:51
I remember rafting in Ducktown, NC on level 3 with “4” in spots. We wore helmets too and were told to tuck our feet back with toes curled to give us more stability. At one point the raft flew straight up and hung in the air for a second or two, giving the sensation of a roller coaster. Long ago, of course!
April 2, 2025 at 17:00
Sounds like fun, Marian. You have a great memory, remembering about the feet tucked into the raft for stability. That’s what we had to do as well. And when I fell out, one foot was actually stuck under the tube in front and it took a while to get it loose, which added to my fright.
March 30, 2025 at 18:16
Oh my gosh, Liesbet. That must have been frightening. I’ve never been in rapids anything like this. It must have been quite the mental hurdle to continue.
April 2, 2025 at 17:03
Hi Pete,
I’m not exaggerating when I say this was the scariest moment in my life. It was weird to continue the rafting trip and, to be honest, I’m still suffering from some kind of trauma as I now panic when I want to put my head underwater (and close my nose) to take a bath in a lake or river. It’s a tad annoying, but I can’t seem to hold my breath anymore underwater. I gasp, panic, and need my head above water ASAP.
March 30, 2025 at 18:41
That was an absolutely gripping read, Liesbet. I was holding my breath for much of my reading. So glad you and Mark made it out safely. What an unforgettable adventure. Looking forward to seeing where your travels take you next—hopefully with a little less near-drowning involved!
April 3, 2025 at 06:52
Thanks for reading, Donna. So far, so good. No more near-drowning experiences, even though I’ve had some flashbacks about it while trying to wash up in rivers and lakes.
March 30, 2025 at 19:24
Never a dull moment with you two. We’ve done class 3 and 4, but never a 5. That’s insane. I’m glad you have the videos as evidence of the ordeal. That last clip puts everything into perspective. Thank goodness for helmets!
April 3, 2025 at 06:55
Ain’t that the truth, Suzanne! Never ever a dull moment here. We could use them once in a while and just “be,” haha.
I guess the class V is a step up from every other rafting class, according to our experience. Helmets and lifejackets were super important. I don’t remember hitting my head on anything, but the jackets brought us to the surface and made us pop up a few times to, ideally, get a breath of air. Not sure we’ll ever do a class V again, though.
March 30, 2025 at 20:04
That was amazing. All six of you tossed out of the raft! I don’t know where to start.
April 3, 2025 at 06:56
It was a crazy ride and experience, Jacqui.
March 30, 2025 at 21:04
I’m glad you made it to shore safely. Safe travels and I hope you enjoy Argentina.
April 3, 2025 at 06:57
Thanks, Natalie. We are back in Argentina again at the moment, for the eight time, I think. It’s been a lot of back and forth crossing borders these last few months. Last time here, I think.
March 31, 2025 at 08:11
Scary experience but glad everyone was all right. Been rafting once and it is usually fun.
April 3, 2025 at 06:58
Hi Alex,
Yes! Rafting is super fun. Most of the time. I do hope to do it again one of these years. I’ll try and keep my mouth shut then, so I won’t inhale that much water if falling overboard.
March 31, 2025 at 13:37
Is this a usual occurrence. I realize that there is a risk and luckily, the company had people on hand for such an occasion. But I don’t understand how a guide that knew the river could make such a mistake.
How incredibly scary!
I have only rafted once. I don’t remember what the rapids were at the time but a quick internet check tells me the rapids on that river are class II – IV. I got dumped out of the raft. It was weird because I saw it coming as we were approaching a rapid I thought, I could fall out here – and I did. Luckily, my friend saw me go and grabbed my leg, and they were able to pull me back in. I can’t imagine if they didn’t, and I had gone under the water.
Honestly, I’m not that interested in doing adventure sports because I am unsure about my physical ability to do them. But I get the idea of feeling one with the elements. Water is just so crazy, though. It has such force!
I assume everyone was ok in the end?
How were the photos taken? With drones?
So glad you, Mark, and Maya made it through this adventure!
April 3, 2025 at 13:06
Hi Duwan,
No. It’s not a common occurrence that people fall out of rafts, but it does happen and this river is a notoriously “rough” one, plus the water level was quite high. It was very unnerving afterwards, to realize every single rafter had fallen out that day on that trip, since the other raft had lost all five tourists at a previous class IV rapid.
The company we picked had very high ratings (all 5-star reviews), so I’m not sure what went wrong, but based on that day and the two mistakes made, one by each guide (I know the other group didn’t have any experience, though), I would not recommend this company. Although they did appear very professional.
Yes, everyone was fine in the end, other than some psychological damage. We had a photographer, who moved down the river on shore and took photos – and videos – from different vantage points. No drones.
I don’t think Mark will ever do Class V rapids anymore. I’m bummed I missed out on rafting that second one, because we fell out.
March 31, 2025 at 14:37
I would love to do rafting, but after 2 neck surgeries, my doctor said I cannot do anything that could impact my neck with sudden movements. I enjoyed living vicariously through your descriptions and photos here. Well except for the spill and the almost drowning part. The video was so scary. Thank goodness for the rescuers. Wow! What an experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let’s not do that again!!!!! Jim
April 3, 2025 at 13:08
Hi Jim,
I do love a good adventure, but this one was too much. So, I hope not to repeat it again. But, it would be sad to be afraid of rafting altogether and forever, because it’s such a fun activity. Not good for potential neck injuries. Lots of sudden movements… But I’m sure you’ve found plenty of other exciting activities that you are allowed to partake in. 🙂
March 31, 2025 at 15:58
I absolutely did not watch any of the videos! The words were scary enough for me. So glad you weren’t hurt.
April 3, 2025 at 13:09
Thanks for the sentiment, Anabel. It’s only the middle movie that is a tad scary. The other two are to put things in perspective. 🙂
March 31, 2025 at 19:03
Yikes! At least I knew you made it to the shore safely since you were able to write this post! I went on a raft trip once… it was fun but I’m sure not Class V. I think I may stay dry and just watch next time. 🙂
April 3, 2025 at 13:12
Hi Janis,
Partaking in a rafting trio is way more fun than watching from the sidelines. 🙂
I think, if there’s a next time for me, I have to remember to close my mouth during the trip. I’m sure that was part of the problem as I took in a lot of water while I fell out, because the wall of water hit my face and surprised, open mouth. So, I could never breathe after that moment, until I was rescued and relaxed.
April 1, 2025 at 13:37
Yikes! Sounds like you’re lucky to be alive. Rafting always looks like fun to me, but I don’t think I’d want to tackle anything as gnarly as that!
April 3, 2025 at 13:13
Hi Diana,
I can honestly not think of anything more fun (as well as active and exhilarating) than rafting. But, now I know to never underestimate white water! And I’ve learned I need to keep my mouth shut on angry rivers.
April 1, 2025 at 17:08
OMG Liesbet, that was frightening to watch, let alone live through your almost drowning. You guys are so daring. Lol, you couldn’t pay me a million to even try that. And I salute you for even getting back in the raft! That scary event has the makings of a thriller movie. So glad you’re both safe. Hugs <3
April 3, 2025 at 13:20
Hi Debby,
Yeah, this rafting incident was extremely scary. We had to get back into the raft, as the trip didn’t end there and transportation was located further downriver. Plus, it didn’t even look like we could have reached the road from the bank of the river where we rested and recovered. It looked very jungle-y and overgrown.
Afterwards, I remember thinking how awful dying by drowning would be. I had a little taste of that and hope to never have to experience it again. Or anyone I love or care about!
April 4, 2025 at 07:37
I can well imagine! <3
April 5, 2025 at 05:56
Oh, my goodness. What an unexpected read that was, Liesbet. Thank goodness everyone was okay. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like being underwater for such a long time. As a non-swimmer and somebody who is frightened of the water, you can understand why white-water rafting isn’t for me.
So pleased that Maya was okay for those six hours. It must give you both more confidence that you can leave her on her own for longer periods.
April 5, 2025 at 14:21
Hi Hugh,
Yeah, you totally should never raft! While it is fun, it can be dangerous and scary as well. I can’t say that I swam once in the water, though. The extremely strong “current” dragged us along and the life jacket kept us afloat when possible. So, really, no need to be able to swim on this excursion, haha.
We were very happy – and proud – to find Maya “survived” this extended period of being alone. Still, Mark and I know that she doesn’t like to be left behind and gets anxious, so we try to keep those periods to a minimum.
I also don’t trust her not to ruin anything and while we do our best to remember to store or hide anything edible (including paper and cardboard items), we always worry we forgot something or that she decided to invent a new habit that causes trouble. So, we never feel at ease when we are doing something without her and try to return home as quickly as possible.
April 5, 2025 at 20:13
You scared ME, Liesbet, and I wasn’t even there! We’ve rafted on a very slow river in Utah umpteen years ago which was fun and relaxing. It certainly wasn’t hair raising like your experience. Rafting is hugely popular here in Colorado, but we certainly hear about dangerous situations every summer. I hope you get your mojo back and decide to do a calmer rafting experience soon, to conquer your fears.
April 8, 2025 at 09:17
Hi Annie,
Yeah, there are many different levels for rafting and most people seem to prefer a more mellow and relaxing approach. But then you have to paddle more, haha.
Mark and I have white water kayaked in Colorado before, with a friend who lives near Boulder and used to be a rafting guide. Fun indeed! We shall see when I set foot in a raft again… It would be sad to give up on such a fun activity because of this unfortunate event.