Saturday, December 26, 2009
Bull Sluice
When we were filming "Deliverance" in 1971, I was nearly killed in precisely this place doing much the same thing on the Chatooga River. We took a rubber raft over the edge, thinking we would bounce through, and instead it stayed in the middle of this torrent. My friends fell out and went downstream, but I stayed in the middle of the pounding water trying to rescue the raft (which belonged to Warner Bros.). Somebody threw me a rope, but it kept wrapping around me as I tried to find something to tie it to. Afraid that I would be strangled, I finally just held onto the rope and fell over the side, straight to the bottom before I was dragged out a little battered and white from fright. All of this is in "Summer of Deliverance," of course. Page 191, I believe: http://tinyurl.com/y8n3o96
-- CD
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Christopher- Jeff Greiner here (my dad started Wildwater on the Chattooga in 1971 while you guys were filming.) If you look closely, you will notice the raft is being wrecklessly driven by a group of raft guides (from another company) upside down. The dangling straps and angle of the rocker on the raft when upside down set this up to be almost inevitable under these circumstances. This would not be something the general public would be exposed to, certainly not on one of our trips. Since this type of information and visual reaches all sorts via the web, such as concerned parents and group leaders, I feel it is important to realize this video is not the typical experience on the Chattooga or at Bull Sluice. That being said, the river is a serious river with many hazards as you experienced during your time here. Having someone with you that knows the dangers is critical. I too have had my "close calls" testing my limits on the Chattooga.
ReplyDeleteThis coming year is our 40th Anniversary of serving the Chattooga (as the first professional outfitter providing guide services on the river.) I invite you and your family to join us if you would be interested in sharing your stories from the early 70's with ours of the same period and beyond. We are celebrating in May. Always good to see your comments on your experiences on the Chattooga! Jeff Greiner (wjgreiner@aol.com)
Don't know if I can make it in May, but would love to join you on the Chattooga sometime soon. All the best, Chris
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