AMERICAN RIVER GUIDE LAWRENCE PATRICK FIRMAN DIES WHILE KAYAKING THE ZAMBEZI
Lawrence Patrick Firman, 68 years old, an expert kayaker and rafting guide for over 35 consecutive seasons in the USA, died while kayaking the Zambezi river on November 13, 2025. “Larry” was part of a group of over a dozen river guides (including several Zambian guides and also one non-river guide participant) who had completed a 12-day expedition trip down the Zambezi river during which Larry had kayaked through the main rapids on the river successfully.
On the day after the expedition trip ended, most of the same group were doing a day-trip through the main rapids section of the river again along with 3 local river guides (from Zambia and Zimbabwe, with leader Thando Lungu) when the incident occurred. This group of 12 river guides plus 1 non-guide were in 2 paddle rafts and 2 kayaks. The two kayakers were Larry and another expert kayaker and river guide from Mexico (Uriel Arroyo).
According to Uriel, who was close to Larry on the water as the incident occurred, they entered Rapid #7 just before 3 pm and kayaked through most of the rapid to the very end section known as Land of the Giants, where Larry entered a big hole that flipped him and surfed him to the left where he drifted out upside-down on that side of the channel. Uriel saw Larry attempt about 5 Eskimo rolls as he drifted down to a rock island after the rapid, but then saw no more roll attempts as Larry’s kayak drifted to the left side of the river in the eddy. Uriel paddled up to Larry’s kayak and found him still in the kayak upside-down. The total time from flipping over until Larry becoming unresponsive was estimated at less than 40 seconds.
Uriel towed Larry’s kayak to the side of the river, pulled him out, noted no pulse or breathing, and started CPR (within 2.5 minutes of Larry first flipping over). The raft crews arrived shortly afterwards and helped with CPR. A Garmin InReach and cell phone were used to alert emergency evacuation services starting shortly afterwards. Larry did not revive over the next ~30 min, when the group decided to move Larry downstream on the raft (while continuing CPR) to the helipad below Rapid
#7b where they started attempting to flag down passing helicopters while waiting for the one hailed with the communications available.
Another rafting/kayaking group (led by Darwin Situmbeko and James “Rocky” Contos) arrived approximately 50 min after the incident and lent assistance in moving Larry and all the boats out of the water. Larry’s friend Nate Goslin, who had been helping administer CPR, flew in the helicopter back to town and continued CPR until medical officials took over. Larry was pronounced dead soon afterward. Larry had not listed any allergies or medical conditions in a query section when providing information about himself to the trip organizers (James Contos and Obey Hamuchemba of Nyami Nyami Rafting), but the group did find an albuterol inhaler in a Ziplock in the PFD that Larry was wearing at the time of the incident. We do not have further details on Larry’s known medical conditions or if any were involved in him becoming unresponsive while upside down in the kayak. We continue working with the police of Livingstone regarding the incident and the US Embassy in Zambia to repatriate Larry’s remains and communicate with next of kin. Larry was a loving soul and will be missed dearly by all his friends.
Report written by James Contos / Obey Hamuchemba and reviewed as correct by Uriel Arroyo, Nate Goslin, Thando Lungu and others on the day-trip when the incident occurred.
Trip participants on Nov13 day-trip when incident occurred:
Thando Lungu (Zambian river guide 8 years and leader of the day-trip)
David Chongo (Zambian river guide 25+ years)
Ryan Chumea (Zimbabwean river guide 8 years)
Lawrence Patrick Firman (river guide 35+ years from Bend, Oregon, USA)
Uriel Arroyo (river guide 4 years, from Jalcomulco, Veracruz, Mexico)
Nathan Goslin-Klemme (river guide 5+ years from Maupin, Oregon, USA)
Cole Shepherd (river guide 6+ years, from Oregon, USA)
Garrett Ferguson (river guide 5+ years, from Vancouver, WA, USA)
Violette Nava (river guide 4+ years, from Morro Bay, CA, USA)
Maia Milligan (river guide 4 years, from Maupin, Oregon, USA)
Brody Myers (river guide 5+ years, from Tygh Valley, Oregon, USA)
Graham Bevier (participant on raft, from Reno, NV, USA)
Venture Corrigan-Bruner (river guide 2+ years, from South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA)
All the river guides on this trip have gone through swiftwater rescue training and first aid training including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (required for all the river guides listed here). Many of the river guides including Larry, Cole, Nathan, Garrett, Violette, Maia and Brody had worked for many seasons with River Drifters based in Maupin, Oregon from which they all knew each other.
