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Dean Bortz: North Fork of Wisconsin’s Flambeau River nearly got me

Editor Dean Bortz nearly drowned last August during a canoe/kayak trip down the North Fork of the Flambeau River in Ashland County. Friends who helped Bortz out of the drink on the First Rapids last year had a few surprises for him during this year’s Labor Day weekend trip down the same stretch of river. (Photo by Stephanie Lewis)

Yours truly came “this close” to drowning on the North Fork of Wisconsin’s Flambeau River last August.
Now, how close “this close” really was to leaving our beautiful world for good no one will ever know since I didn’t succumb to those roiling dark waters. But it had to be pretty doggone close. I didn’t think I was in that much trouble, but my assessment of the situation changed once I saw the looks on the faces of my friends who were along on the river trip that day.

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