Susan Billingsley - Grand Canyon River Guides
Susan Billingsley - Grand Canyon River Guides
Susan Billingsley - Grand Canyon River Guides
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John Weirman, <strong>Susan</strong> Varin (<strong>Billingsley</strong>), Jim Sears, on the day they were found – Sept. 28, 1969.<strong>Billingsley</strong>: Waiting, because obviously somebodywould come by and pick us up.Steiger: And when you were waiting there…<strong>Billingsley</strong>: We had to hike back down to get thewater.Steiger: And then finally said, “All right, nobody’scomin’, we’re gonna get outta here.”<strong>Billingsley</strong>: Yeah.Steiger: And then you walked another thirty miles?<strong>Billingsley</strong>: Then we got out. We were walkin’along and all of a sudden this plane comes over us andjust passes over about six times. We waved to him, andthen we finally ignored him. Then over the hill behindus come like six search and rescue vehicles, just dustroarin’. You could see ’em for a mile, you know. Andthen they come up, and we had to jump off the road.They would have run us over, they were goin’ so fast.They jump out and it’s like, “Do you need water?! Doyou need first aid?! What can we do?!” It’s like, “Oh,God, we couldn’t eat another bite. We’re just so full.”Steiger: “How ’bout a beer!?”<strong>Billingsley</strong>: Anyway, they were really ticked offbecause we had gotten out, and they had just gottenthere. They only got to spend one night, and they didn’thave their big party, and they had to go home.Steiger: That was a kinder, gentler era. Everybodygot off work, “Aw, gotta go do this rescue.”<strong>Billingsley</strong>: Yeah. It was a big thing goin’ up on theNorth Rim.Steiger: Did it make the newspapers and all that?<strong>Billingsley</strong>: Lots of newspapers. They all had usdrowning in the river—that was the big thing.Photos courtesy of George <strong>Billingsley</strong>This program was made possible in partby a grant from the Arizona HumanitiesCouncil. Ahc has designated the <strong>Grand</strong><strong>Canyon</strong> <strong>River</strong> Runners Oral HistoryProject as a “We the People” initiative of the National Endowmentfor the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, orrecommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarilyreflect those of the Arizona Humanities Council or theNational Endowment for the Humanities.page 38grand canyon river guides
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