Customer ReviewsforBlue Sky Outfitters, Inc.

IT WAS NOT A SAFE EXPERIENCE for my 12-year-old son and me last summer (2021) in ***********, **. I've been waiting on writing this review for the company to return my email or my phone call. When I called, a nice young lady read the email and said the manager would contact me the very next day. Never happened. After the bus took us to our spot, we were rushed into signing a release form and were told to pick out our lifejackets and tubes. While we were doing that, the employee had completed his instructions to the other tubers. We asked him to repeat them. So, my son and I were tethered together when we got in the river and immediately came apart once we started out. I lost sight of my son for a bit because I drifted ahead of him, but the company said they would have their people all around on and off the water, so I wasn't too concerned yet. I moved to the side where the current was not strong and he finally caught up to me. He said that he had been waving to others for help but no one noticed. We didn't see any employees. He's not a strong swimmer, but he had a life jacket and the company advertises that it's for kids and even dogs! So I figured it would be perfectly safe. We were given frisbees to steer with, which didn't help much. In fact, at the end of the trip, I had blisters from hopelessly trying to steer with them. We were told to go left when the river started winding and my son and I couldn't do it. I didn't know what was ahead, but I knew we couldn't go that way. I was getting frustrated when I suddenly realized that I could just jump out of my tube and pull my son with me. I dragged him behind me against the current and then when I couldn't touch the bottom, I swam with him behind me. I became a super mom for a few minutes. Some strangers came up behind and helped me as I was banging my legs on rocks and tree logs. I didn't really care about that, I just wanted my son safe. He wasn't happy that I was getting hurt. So the strangers helped us get up on shore where we took a breath before completing the trip. (My son told me later that he waded in at that time to check his life jacket and that it didn't float!). We got back in and it was a mellow section of the river, and it ended a few minutes later. So, the whole trip probably would have taken us maybe 15 minutes if we didn't have the problems that we had. (I realize now that the current changes from day to day, so it could be a little more on other days I suppose). I made sure that we were in the left area because we were told to stop before the rapids. They waved us down to make sure we knew to stop. We got off and I told them what had happened. The people who worked there didn't say much & told us to deflate our tubes and walk them back somewhere, and then walk back to our starting point. I've been upset with myself for not checking the reviews before we went and for not ensuring that our son had more swim lessons. We haven't been able to because of COVID. My son said later that it was supposed to be the greatest day of the summer, but that it was the worst day. That pretty much sums it up.