Gary,

An interesting follow-up to that story is that I hadn't seen the guy since then. Then, when I posted the story on the paddler's forum, I got an email from him. He's living in Oregon now. He wanted to tell me that he's getting married and that his fiance was grateful for the outcome on that afternoon in '96. He did, however, tell me that he almost died twice that day. Once in the fridgid waters of Lake Champlain, then again once his girlfriend (now fiance) almost killed him for being so foolish.