My wife and I were visiting Steamboat Springs recently, and on July 13 (Yampa River Cleanup day), we departed on a tube float. Five minutes in, my tailbone met a rock at the second falls and we were forced to exit.

Upon reaching the bank, I discovered that my belongings bag was missing, containing my cell phone, my only credit card and the single key to our rental car. Lesson learned. My wife’s purse was in the locked rental car (containing our wallets and her cell phone). We were without communication and financial means, and, frankly, humbled by our acute dependency on modernity.

Over the next three hours, various amazing town folk helped us in myriad ways. Offers of cell phone usage, rides, food and water, guidance … and moral support appeared at every turn. Even the locksmiths who opened our rental car went out of their way to ensure that we were taken care of and not left stranded. 

Especially, the apparent partnership between the City Council, Parks and Rec, Ambassador Program, and Friends of The Yampa factors heavily in our experience: I encountered the FOTY/Ambassadors tent in a Steamboat Springs park near the river around 11:30 a.m. They instructed us to return at 1 p.m. when the river cleanup was wrapping up, in case someone returned our bag of precious cargo. 

After walking what seemed like a hundred miles in pursuit of various solutions, we were exhausted, forlorn and hopeless. As a last ditch effort, we returned to said tent around 1 p.m., where I met Kim, a member of the River Ambassadors team. She not only informed me of the local, young dive team who regularly scour the river at the C hole for lost goods — she took me to them! I think she could see the desperation on my face. 

Miracles of miracles, Vander from the dive team had recovered my bag! Our relief was immeasurable, as you can imagine.  

The entire experience has cemented our desire and intent to return to Steamboat Springs (maybe not taking anything with us on the river ever again). With kindest regards and fond memories of Steamboat Springs … 

Mark and Rhonda Diehl
Cumberland, Maryland