Dangerous Crossing. Texas

The Shannon family with their dog and granddaughter had decided to flee the rising waters surrounding their home in Conroe, Texas (near Houston). I saw them walking to the low water crossing which had turned into a swiftly moving stream. I followed them to the edge of the water and stopped them. I told them I did not think it was safe to cross the water. I had covered numerous floods over the years as a daily newspaper photographer and knew the peril of these crossings. They chose to go anyway. So I went with them. It was raining hard and my gear, an old Nikon F2 with no motor drive, was still holding its own against the torrent. I had forgotten that I was wearing a waist bag filled with gear. Most of it was destroyed. Somewhere near the midway point the water was at my armpits. All I could think of was the danger for the baby. So, I stopped them again. I asked if they would let me go ahead of them and said, "If I go down - you turn back." This time, they agreed.