senior ditch day

Senior ditch day was yesterday.   Samantha has been telling me for months that she is going to ditch on senior ditch day.  I am so glad she tells me.   She is funny.  I will get a text once in awhile asking if she can ditch seminary.   I usually say yes but I think it's funny because I never asked when I ditched.   I am glad she tells me though so I know she is not there.   Anyways she had big plans for senior ditch day to go tubing down the Salt River.   Her and 5 other friends were going shooting in the hills then they were heading up to the river to tube.  

I told her the river was still closed because it was low but she was convinced they were going.  I said wear old shoes and take water and sunblock.   She said "ya ya I know mom".   That means whatever.  

She left around 7am.   The rest of us went about our day.   All was well nothing to worry about. 

I picked Jess up from school and at 3:45 and was thinking I hadn't heard anything from Sam all day.  I figure if she was on the river she didn't have her phone and may not have service so no need to worry.   I talked to Thayne on the phone and he didn't seem too worried.    A few more hours passed and around 6pm I was talking to Thayne and telling him I was a little worried I hadn't heard from Sam.  We had texted her boyfriend Zach and hadn't heard from him either.   I knew it was getting dark soon and I would rather go looking for them if something was wrong when it was still light then to wait til it was dark.    I waited a little longer and decided to send a message to one of the moms of the girls who went also.   I knew she texted her daughter all the time.    She sent me a message back saying she had not heard anything either and was also worried.   Oh boy.   I didn't have Zach's mom's phone number so Casey (the other mom) and I thought maybe we could drive to Zach's parents house and see if she had heard anything.   I pickedCasey up and by now it is almost 7:30 and getting dark.    Now, 2 worried moms should never drive together because with the positive thoughts of they have no service, or the car may have broke down or they are still on the river soon turned into the thoughts of they went to the lake instead of the river and drove off a cliff.   Yep we actually said that.    I always think when I haven't heard from Thayne that he has driven off a cliff.   I have issues I know.    Anyways, as we pulled up to Zachs house we saw a bunch of kids outside.    Phew we were so glad to see them.

Of course Sam and Hayden (the other girl) looked at us like what are you doing here, and you guys are crazy.   Yes we know and gladly admitted we have issues but we let them know we were worried.   They proceeded to tell us that they were indeed in a scary situation and that not one of them had a phone to call.

This is the short version of what Sam told me~

They went to the river.   They parked one truck at the top and one car at the bottom so when the tubed down they could just drive back to the top.   The river was low but they went anyways.   Not one of them wore shoes (a for sure I told you so moment for me).  They rafted down the river but the couple with the food raft got behind and they didn't see them.   As Sam and the other 3 were rafting they hit some really strong currents.   The other couple got thrown off and barely made it to shore.   The boy had cut his back really bad and the water was freezing and he had been showing signs of hypothermia.   Who knew you could get that in AZ, now I know.   Sam and Zach managed to get to shore and hiked back to check on them.   The 4 of them could still not see the last couple so they all decided to get back and tube the rest of the way.   As they started tubing they hit more currents and Sam got pushed into a tree and her leg was stuck and her head was under water and she couldn't get air.    She was starting to panic but Zach was able to make it over to her and managed to get her leg free and got Sam to a safe place.    (see people this is why moms worry)   

The 4 kids decided to get out of the water and hike the rest of the way with no shoes!   Oh ya did I mention Sam had sliced the bottom of her foot open.   They finally saw the 3rd couple and they said they would continue to tube down the river to the car and then they would come back and get them.    Sounded good to them.   Sam and the other 3 kids waited for a while and were sitting close to the road.   They thought it had been a long time and the other couple should be coming to get them soon.   Another car drove by and they saw it was another kid they went to school with so he gave them a ride to the car.   As they were driving they saw the 3rd couple walking up the hill.    They pulled over and asked why they were walking and not driving the car.   The boy said "we tipped over in the river and lost everything, and the keys to the car are at the bottom of the river".    All of their cell phones and wallets and shoes were locked in the car.  
They all got back to the truck at the top of the hill and drove home leaving the other car with all their goods behind.  

Yep there you have it.   They all made it back and had no way to call any of us for help.   So we did have every reason to be worried.   Although I think if you can't get a hold of a group of teenagers all day then worry is the first thing you should do.   Since they got back in one piece and they all survived I think it a great memory of Senior ditch day they will always remember.   Making memories is what it's all about.   Of course I like it more when me worrying isn't involved.    The other bad part is because they had no phones there were no pictures taken.   Zach was heading back up to the river last night to try to get his car.   I still have yet to hear if the car and the goods have made it back.   

Some may say that's why you don't let your kids go do those things on senior ditch day, but I say kids need to make memories and enjoy those times together.   We can't shelter them.   They will learn and grow from good or bad experiences.   The experience they had yesterday,  they are already laughing about and have learned from.   It is nice to see how they all depended on each other and they all made it back on their own.   I am so happy for their safe return and glad they all grew up a little bit yesterday.