A party of six plus a dog planned to float and fish the Upper Madison from Varney Bridge to Ennis. A combination of two hard shell flat water kayaks and a drift boat (rower was Person B) with 4 occupants put on the river around noon. One of the kayakers (Person A) had never been on a river before but had some experience paddling flat water and waves. The other (Person C) had some experience rowing rafts, but no kayak specific experience. All other drift boat occupants had never been on a river before. No safety discussion was had before putting on the river. The kayakers wore PFDs, those in the drift boat were not wearing PFDs but had access under the seats.
The river is considered Class I with the major obstacle being a diversion dam that is easily avoided by picking the river right channel about 1/3 of the way through the float. Other major obstacles are shallow water requiring portaging and a few sweepers around corners. About halfway through the float it was decided to pull out in an eddy and get a snack and go to the bathroom. B (trip leader with the most river experience) pulled into a small eddy 100' above a corner that had two significant partially submerged logs. A missed the eddy but was able to get out of their boat and on to shore about 25' downstream. Due to the missed eddy and current making it difficult to keep the drift boat at anchor, B made the decision to get past the potential strainers and stop at the next eddy, about 150' downstream.
The drift boat pulled back into the current and proceeded to the next eddy around the corner and out of sight of the strainer. C followed shortly after. When they came around the corner, they yelled at B: "A needs help!" B began walking upstream at which point an overturned swamped kayak came flowing down the river, without a person following. C then yelled "RUN" and the urgency sensed in the voice made B sprint upstream, no PFD or throw rope on their person. Around the corner, B encountered A hanging onto a branch on the bottom of the first strainer being dragged in the main current. They were flat on their back, head above water, with terror in their eyes as their arms were outstretched grabbing a 1" thick cottonwood branch attached to a large trunk. Their hair was dry, but they were starting to dip deeper into the current as fatigue set in. Directly below them 15' was a second, larger cottonwood strainer with no obvious way through. An attempt was made by B to yell at A to get them to flip onto their stomach and ferry 2' laterally to allow them to flush clear of the strainer. A was unable to hear the command. B then made the decision to climb out on the large trunk that A was grabbing branches of. A was beginning to dip deeper into the water. B was able to get to the end and brace themselves into a stable, seated belay position. B then grabbed A's forearm and PFD and pulled them onto the trunk and to safety.
While A was getting extricated, A's partner decided to swim after the swamped kayak, believing they were trapped under it. They were not wearing a PFD. C commanded them to leave the water and they listened. C was able to beach the kayak 100 yards downstream. The paddle was lost indefinitely.
This was a near miss. A was inexperienced and in a vessel only marginal suitable for moving water. B and C were overconfident in the groups abilities and underreported the potential hazards. In debriefing post incident, it was clear that the group should not have been on moving water that day, PFDs should have been easier to access, a throw rope should have been on board each craft. A discussion of the river and potential hazards should have been had, especially among the kayakers.
