Boats, gear swept away by raging flood waters during river trip in San Juan County

Boats and gear were washed away in San Juan County over the weekend as water rose several feet in a matter of minutes, flooding everything out.

Justin Olsen and his family were looking forward to a good time camping on the San Juan River last Friday.

Olsen is an avid boater and knew flash flooding was a possibility, but even he was surprised about the sheer amount of water that ended up swallowing their campground.

At about 2:30 p.m. Friday, the Olsen family were enjoying a ride on the river. It was sunny with blue skies.

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[oscarthegrouch]

Ive seen about 200 flash floods in my life.. “hey lets set up tents in this wash”

[TexasbyStorm]

Setting camp in a dry wash during monsoon season. Genius

[macun]

This is the guy you don't go camping with

[Spohcsom]

Surely they could have pulled the boats up the bank as the river rose?

[juiceyjg]

He chose to ignore the swollen river and take his family to camp on a wash with thunderstorms in the area - absolutely genius move !

[pswanberg]

Why would someone do something so stupid, then run to the local TV station to tell the world they're stupid?

[StatisticallyScrewed]

Using your time to record when you know the tip of a flash flood is right in front of you, instead of making for higher ground, is a testament to the reverse trajectory of human intelligence. Thank you internet.

[AG-lbey]

“Hurricane level wind and rain” spoken like a dude who never actually seen a hurricane.

[Ian-yfrl]

The look of a man who knows he made a dumb mistake but doesn't want to admit it.

[definitelynotreal]

"I slept in a river basin and was shocked when the river came" 😂

[sylusasher]

You’ve seen 200 flash floods….and STILL underestimated it?

[cks]

He knows that the surrounding topography was carved out by water, but doesn't RACE to higher ground during a rain event in a desert region.

[calicoasting]

He has seen 100 maybe 200 flash floods and he still got caught in one ...😂

[Richard-zcyb]

Checking the weather forecast is just common sense.

[ylrevebzeb]

My late Dad would have been 91 as a child, he was even told by his parents to stay away from washes when there is rain up stream and to top that we are indigenous people to the area

[XenoGensis]

I feel like the time to leave was before it broke the shore line? Or am I missing something?

[jgw]

My family was driving under terrible rain storm on a paved but small back road in the Mojave Desert. My dad who was driving at that point drove up the highest rise he could find on the road and parked. After the heaviest rain subsided we were surrounded by fast water before and behind but we were above the streams. We sat and waited until road scrapers arrived to push away the mud and smallish boulders.

[markfournette]

Another option might be to pull the boats away from the water further. But I also understand honoring the boats' desire to go.

[pearl_lisha]

A flood is coming and you let the boats go?? Make it make sense.

[lowriderjohnnyz]

If this guy seen so many flash floods why didnt he KNOW that its not smart to be on a dry creek bed!?