Mother and daughter saved by stranger in kayaking trip gone wrong

GILES COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ/Gray News) - A peaceful day kayaking in Virginia turned into a disaster for a mother and daughter, but they credit their survival to the kindness of one stranger.

Kayaking isn’t anything new for Tammy Rakes and her adult daughter, Brittney Doffin, but after a Saturday trip on the New River Water Trail, they’re not sure if they’ll ever pick up their paddles again, WDBJ reports.

“We’ve done it for years, living in Giles, and just another regular day for us until catastrophe happened,” Doffin said.

After battling two sets of rapids halfway through their trip, Doffin’s kayak quickly started filling with water.

“I turned to look back to see where Brittany was at, and at that point, I noticed her kayak upside down, which as a mom, terrified me,” Rakes said.

Luckily, a nearby stranger quickly turned into a savior.

“I saw her [Doffin’s] little head bob up beside of him on his tube, and I was like, ‘Oh, thank God, somebody’s helping her,” Rakes said.

“Everything was floating down the river. He was there, grabbing my stuff, grabbing me, grabbing my kayak. I was holding on to his tube,” Doffin said.

The stranger continued helping the two women, even surrendering his own tube after Rakes’ kayak also began filling with water.

“At that point, I was able to get on out and get to safety. But I’m just kind of like, ‘I don’t know what I would have done,’” Rakes said.

On shore and in shock, the women thanked the man before their own family came to help.

“I’m sure he didn’t expect that’s how his day was going to go either, that he was going to have to save two women,” Rakes said.

The mother and daughter later connected with the man on Facebook. He did not want to be identified, but both women say they’re endlessly grateful for his act of kindness.

“Just for him to take the time out of his day and their family trip to help us meant a whole lot, especially save my daughter,” Rakes said.