My Waterfall Crash by Alyson Young

I could see the cold, raging water turning white as it flew over the edge of the waterfall. “I’m going to die!” I thought as I was speeding down a river bouncing and swaying on a tube in Lava Hot Springs.

My Uncle Doug, Aunt Amber, my older cousin Kendy, and my younger sister Cosette and I were all crammed on an inner tube like sardines in a can. We all screamed as loud as we could as the cold white waterfall swallowed us up like we were lion’s prey. At that terrifying moment, I remember thinking franticly that I was going to die along with all of the other frightened people on the bouncing tube.

As soon as the tube hit the bottom of this six foot waterfall, it flipped over like a pancake on a grill and I was pushed under the icy cold water. “I’m dead,” I thought. But it turned out that the river wasn’t deep and my knees scraped the bottom. I remember my knees getting hot and stinging as the rocks scraped my skin and left a cut. But there was another problem. My body couldn’t lift itself up!

I could hear small, muffled voices above the water. I realized that I might be under the tube that was now sitting upside down on the surface of the river when I felt a strong hand grab my arm and lift me up. I was looking at my uncle Doug when I came out of the freezing water. “Are you o.k.?” he asked with a relieved and happy face. Man, did I feel lucky!

We all tried to jump back on the tube like fish out of water because we were so pooped. We were laughing really hard as we finally started down the river again. “Let’s do that again!” my cousin said jokingly. We laughed at her funny comment.

I looked down at my bloody knees, all beat up and cut. But I didn’t care. I was just happy to be alive and on the tube where I knew I was safe with the people I love.