The wrath, and the mercy, of the Kettle River ~ May 15, 1986

David Heiller

The names ring with adventure, a touch of danger: Blueberry Slide, Mother’s Delight, Dragon’s Tooth, Hell’s Gate. Names on a map, on a river, names of rapids on the Kettle River as it passes through Banning State Park, south of Askov.

One of the rapids in Banning
State Park on the Kettle River.

But look at those rapids now, with the water level nearly five and a half feet above normal, and adventure disappears, swallowed up by danger and death. The water curls and sprays through the narrow valley, shaking and roaring its brown, foamy head like a lion. Look at it from shore, and you likely will grab a tree for safe footing. Look at it from a canoe, and your life will pass before your eyes.

Randy Rantala and David Weier put their canoe into the Kettle River at Highway 123 landing Monday afternoon, and headed downstream, toward those adventurous names. Their car was parked down river at Highway 70, some 30 miles away. David took the stern. The 20-year-old had more canoeing experience than his college buddy. He had been on the river before. The water was lower then.

Neither man was wearing a life jacket.

First they heard the dull roar, then saw the orange danger signs, warning about the upcoming rapids. The signs were put up three years ago, when a man drowned after the fall rains of 1983. Then the river split open in front of them, a river even experienced kayakers avoid when water levels reach 8.4 feet, Monday’s reading.

No canoe could have made it through even the first wave, some four feet high. Dave and Ron were spun sideways, and flipped over. Ron lost his grip on the canoe. That may have saved his life. Water pushed him under, carried him downstream towards Dragon’s Tooth, the meanest rapids of the four.

“All I could do was swim toward the surface, and keep my head above water,” Ron remembers. “Swim to shore, and try to grab on.” That’s what Ron did.

David kept his grip on the canoe. Ron saw him disappear down the river, toward Dragon’s Tooth. It^` was the last time he saw his friend.

Pulling himself onto shore, Ron Rantala stumbled downstream, searching the banks, looking for David The river had taken his glasses, so he had trouble seeing much. He turned around and headed back to Highway 23, to the car. He drove to Banning Park, found park manager Randy Gordon at about 4:30. They drove to the boat landing in the park, made a quick search to see if David might be on a trail, walking to safety. Then Randy called the Pine County Sheriff’s office.

The canoe, and personal belongings, were discovered below the dam at Sandstone, two miles away. Authorities are still looking for David Weier’s body.

Randy Rantala was not hurt by the accident. “Not physically,” he says. Does he feel fortunate to be alive? “Not right now,” he said on Tuesday.

How can you feel fortunate when you lose a close buddy, someone you live with, someone who leads you on adventure? It’s hard to understand how David was lost, this 19-year-old athlete who liked to climb cliffs, who skied on the University of Minnesota cross-country ski team.

“He was in much better shape than me,” Randy says.

The loss of a friend will remain. But Randy Rantala will feel lucky soon enough. Anybody who goes through Blueberry Slide after three inches of rain in a loaded canoe, without a life jacket, will learn to love life again.

The Kettle River, with her adventurous names, isn’t usually so generous.