RDAU_2026-ISSUE0809_DIGITAL MAGAZINE

and a fish finder. At the stern, he attached a small trolling motor. Something was missing, though— he’d forgotten his outriggers at home. Normally he’d fasten them, pontoon- like, on either side of the little kayak to improve its stability. He looked out at themuddy river. Its surface was smooth, but sticks and leaves rushed past in the current. He’d have to be extra careful. A burly man standing 6 foot 3 and weighing more than 240 pounds, Ben- nett eased himself into the boat, started the motor and pushed off, angling upriver toward the far bank, which was less obstructed by overhanging branches and debris. He’d gottenmost of the way across when a confusion of currents— probably caused by the supports of the bridge—began spinning him around. Uh-oh , he thought. This is probably not a good idea . Working the tiller, he pulled the kayak out of its spin and nosed it upriver. But almost immediately, it fell into another spin. OK, this is definitely not a good idea. Let’s head back. He pointed the kayak back toward the boat launch, but a crosscurrent broad- sided him, and the little craft flipped. One second he’d been sitting upright; the next he was submerged in the shockingly cold, steadily moving water. For 40-year-old John Reinhardt to have ended up at that same spot on the E ven in Alabama, late March is early in the year for fishing, but this was 31-year-old Caleb Bennett’s third outing of the season. It was midmorn- ing on Good Friday, March 29, 2024, when he loaded his 10-foot kayak into his pickup and drove, fittingly enough, to where Easter Ferry Road crosses the Elk River, about 25 minutes from his home in Athens, Alabama. His was the only vehicle parked at the out-of-the- way boat launch, a simple clearing sur- rounded by empty woods. From the concrete boat ramp jutting out of the steep riverbank downstream from the parking area, it was a clear view 100 feet upstream to the bridge over the river. Bennett had the day offwork fromhis job as a warehouse manager and dis- tribution dispatcher for an industrial supply company. His plan was to cruise upstreampast the bridge until he found a creek mouth, fish it for bass, catfish or crappie for a couple of hours, then hurry home to catch his 4-year-old daughter’s T-ball game that afternoon. The water temperature was just over 50 degrees, and the day was sunny, in the mid-60s. That was a nice change after the rainy weather the week before, which had swollen the river and ampli- fied its current, visible against the oppo- site bank some 160 feet away. On the shore, Bennett loaded the kayak with three rods and reels, bait, a tackle box 106 August/september 2026 reader ’ s digest Drama in Real Life Elk River that morning is what believers might call a miracle and skeptics might call a fluke. He was spending the Easter break camping with his four kids, along with his sister Pattie Smith and her four children, on family land about 11 miles outside Athens. His own kids, who ranged in age from 3 to 13, had sur- prised him by asking if they could go fishing during their camping week. Reinhardt couldn’t remember the last time he’d fished, but he had agreed and bought some gear. There were plenty of good spots closer to their land, but Reinhardt, without being able to artic- ulate why, decided they’d fish near the Elk River’s Easter Ferry Road bridge. While Smith and her kids went to collect some more gear, Reinhardt and his children pulled into the parking area around 11:30 a.m. The kids were chattering excitedly while Reinhardt parked and turned off the engine. As he stepped out of the truck, a loud gun- shot rang out, alarmingly close by. He ducked back into the truck and retrieved his pistol from its locked case under the driver’s seat. “I want you kids to stay here,” he said. “I’m going to see what’s going on.” Even as he spoke, a second shot shat- tered the peace of the still day. Gun in hand, Reinhardt stalked toward the far edge of the clearing, scanning it closely as he went. What was this? Someone “plinking” (casual target shooting)? Or was it something more serious, like a shoot-out? Or … readersdigest.com.au 107