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E7jLrJri'gJvtfpciCtlX X/YtrJ; 1JSIf-1JSJ always loolcing for new rivers to explore, Georgie had for some (7t time been considering a trip in Mexico. The first such expedition was finally set for the fall of 1958. The party would include Lillian Lasch, Paul Kelly, Marshall Bond, Jr., Frank Rich, Jr., and Orville Miller. They had planned to explore the Rio Papigochico Aros, but that didn't pan out, as the river and surrounding area were inundated by a tropical storm. On the flight into Mexico the party encountered continuous torrential rains. On all sides were nothing but clouds. When they finally dropped low enough to see the countryside, the group found the entire terrain flooded. They would later find roads washed out, telephones out of commission, telegraph wires down, and people marooned on high spots hoping desperately for help. More than thirty thousand people were believed to have been left temporarily homeless. The pilot tried desperately to maneuver out of the storm, flying up several valleys only to be forced back the same way he had come. Fuel was getting low and they were loolcing for a known emergency landing field. When they finally located it, it was one big lake with the runways completely inundated. There was only one alternative-the paved highway, very straight and narrow, a mere ribbon. But the pilot, Brad Pearson, did a superb job. He landed in the center of the highway with a foot to spare on each side of the wheels. With the little remaining gas they taxied along the road until brought to a standstill where the road was washed out. A nearby sign indicated "Hermosillo, 75 miles." JJ WOHtaX ojtAt 7{ivtr Rich, Bond, and Miller started walking down the road in search of help; the others remained with the plane. They feh secure in the fact that Paul Kelly could speak some Spanish. Soon after, a truck came along and wanted to get past the plane. They maneuvered it enough for the truck to pass under one wing. The driver spoke English and was going to Hermosillo. Paul decided to go with him and pick up the other three en route if he could find them. This left three non-Spanish-speaking guards for the plane. Soon two policemen arrived and indicated they would help guard the plane. A truckload of workmen then arrived to repair the washed out road. From the looks of that road gang, the three were glad to have policemen standing by! In the late afternoon the three were overjoyed to see the truck, with Paul and a barrel of gas, coming down the highway. Miller, Rich, and Bond had remained in Hermosillo to lighten the take-off load of the plane. Georgie noted, "Have you ever tried standing on the wing of a plane, trying to pour gas into a tiny tank inlet, using a large pail and the wind blowing a forty mile gale? Try it some time."l Fifteen minutes after take-off they landed in Hermosillo, and were soon joined by the rest of the party, glad to be back together again. Early the next morning they returned to the airport determined to check the Aros River. The storm, however, had not abated. Their alternate river was the Rio Grande de Santiago, nearly a thousand miles to the southeast in the central part ofMexico. Ifthey were going to explore any river at this time, that would have to be it. They flew low over the Santiago to check it out as much as possible before landing in Guadalajara. Georgie said, "The canyon looked rugged, but not impassable, so we skipped over a loop or two, which the river made, without looking at it. This came close to being a serious mistake." Mter landing the party at Guadalajara, the pilot immediately started back to Nogales, intending to return with the boats as soon as possible. Because of bad weather, though, he could not return for four days. During that time the crew talked to a hotel owner, Sefior Barrato, who assured them they needed a licensed guide, if only to get the licenses necessary to enter the river. The American consul, a Mr. Johnson, confirmed this. So they hired a guide to obtain the permits but did not take him on the trip. Since the Rio de Santiago was a federal river, the group needed a federal license. They also needed a military pass to use the road, fOO [18.221...

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