Rubber duck trip down Orangeriver

[Swart Jan]

Do-ing a trip from Vioolsdrift to Alexanderbay on the Oranjerivier with 2 x 4 seater motorized rubberducks .
Waiting for river level to rise more and this could happen by the 10th of February.
Leaving from Bethlehem and there is space for 3 to travell with .
No backup on trip but will get picked up at Alexanderbay Trip down river 3 to 4 days .
Please WhatsApp if you interested for more details. 0827772054 .

[Swart Jan]

2011 when Oranjerivier were in flood .

[Alan Eveleigh]

This is what dreams are for. Would really love to do something like this

[Rolf91]

How did it go? Pictures?

[Tooi]

[Recovery]

What’s the story behind the picture?

[Tooi]

This is how the horror trip ended.
I floated for 5 hours down the main stream of the Orange river. The rescue team and Parks guys were amazing and professional. Unfortunately our guide was the opposite.

[Colin Kaapschehoop]

[QUOTE=Tooi;4587292]This is how the horror trip ended.

You were very lucky! Could easily have been a few fatalities!

[RoddieJ]

Sorry to hear... I hope everyone came out unharmed, of course except for the egos :thumbleft:

[Tony Weaver]

Story please! Glad you're OK Pieter.

[Francois Theron]

Story please! Glad you're OK Pieter.

https://www.facebook.com/piet.dutoit.90

[Tony Weaver]

https://www.facebook.com/piet.dutoit.90

Thanks Francois, what a horror story. Sounds shambolic.

[River Rat]

Eish and I was thinking that I missed an adventure, seems like it was a bigger adventure than anyone thought it would be. Really glad everyone is safe and I hope we get to hear the organisers version of events.

[royjacobs]

Wow Piet I just read your story on the FB link, a really horrific experience but your faith brought you home against all odds .

Roy

[Rustie]

Any chance of copying the gist of what went on here for the non-FB guys?

[royjacobs]

As requested.

The horror trip down the Orange river with Jan Slabber and five other guys.
Day 1 Drive Pretoria to Pofadder.
Day 2 Arrive at Bushwhacker camp next to Vioolsdrift.
Day 3 Departure gets postponed due to pontoon on one rubberduck leaking.
Day 4 Depart through the most beautiful part of landscape next to the Orange river. Huge grape farms.
The pontoon start leaking again and the tour leader rejects all sound advice not to continue with the boat. We spend the night at a beautiful place next to the river.
Day 5 The red boat is found to heavy to carry all the equipment so the engine is removed and placed on the grey boat with all the equipment and red boat is towed. We stop again for a patch and sound advice to abandon the trip and get help from the Grape farm is ignored.
"Wies die snotkop to give me advise" Snotkop is a river guide and was contracted by Jan Slabber to do the patching and pumping.
Now we have to dump our valuables because Jan realises we are carrying to heavy and the pontoons on both boats has come to the end of their lives. We are now 4 on the grey boat and 3 on the red boat.
At around Tatasberg Jan drives into a bush the grey boat on tow comes past and all Hell brakes loose. The tow rope pulls the rear of the pontoon under water I have just enough time to one of the dry boxes and sitting on starboard side afraid of the boat capsizing on me I floated away down river. I see Lother swimming to shore followed by Anthony the patch & pump guy what a beautiful and pleasant youngster.
The tow rope is cut and the red boat now drifts with Jan jnr and Danie Du Toit from Langebaan.
I can see the boats in a distance but now drifting faster than the boats realise I'm on my own.
I see the first whirlpool and prepare to not fight it. It is full of reads and I realise I must not get sucked in I kick and swim sideways I spin around twice and it spits me out...GOD answered my prayer.
I see the first of about 20 Rapids and learn very quick not to inhale going through them.
The plenty Islands taught me to turn my Bach on the debris so the life jacket could take the punch. So I drifted for almost 5 hours until it was getting dark.
My prayer was answered again for the 50th time as their was a stream that took me close to the shore and I could grab a branch and pull me to the side of the river. To get on to level ground drained all my guts I had left over.
In the dry box I had 3 bottles wine, 2 flashlight, towel, tiedown strap knife and 50ml water. To sleep with the fear of baboons and leopards I took 12 mouth full of wine and slept like a baby. When I woke up I followed the same process and so finished 2 bottles through the night. Hell was I thirsty the next morning.
At sunrise I crawled through the bushes towing the dry box with the tiedown strap behind me. Eventually I saw sand and diamond fencing and equipment longtime I knew that GOD was not going to leave me he answered every prayer and now brought me to safety on dry land. Soon I saw a house this was Groot Plaas in Namibia and what wonderful black people swopped a bottle wine for a jar of ice water. Took me to across from De Hoop and paddled me across in one of the fisherman's kayaks.
Danie and Jan jnr was in the camp and I was told that all seven of us were now safe. Praise the Lord.
It is then when the NSRI and Park guts told me the horror story that the group leader told them to stop searching for the old man his gone!
No don't get a chopper its to expensive. Well Jan it was not necessary as GOD was looking after me.

[duncang]

Does this tour organizer have an oficial name ?

[Searcher]

Hectic !!
Glad to hear all folks are ok.
Outdoor adventures always have the potential to go pear-shaped real fast.

[Rustie]

Should be sued ...for something.

[JadeDsantos]

Hectic !!
Glad to hear all folks are ok.
Outdoor adventures always have the potential to go pear-shaped real fast.

This reads like an absolute horror story. Well done on making it, but hell man, thats a serious mishap.