The Roter Wash and the Mustang

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The tree fell instantaneously, unleashing a kind of unfathomable chaos. John was still battened to the backboard, wedged up to keep the weight of his body on his less painful side. They had cut off his clothes, though he'd murmured a plea not to. i knelt and rubbed his feet. The helicopter was going to make it. I'm not sure we were ever made aware of the possibility that it wouldn't. Now the crew got busy below, tying down anything that could be blown off by the roter wash.

It was meant to mark the start of their lives out of college, but the adventure quickly turned into a nightmare. Beginning with what seemed to be a lucky whale sighting, three friends set out on a sea-kayaking trip through Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, watching out for bears, and having a good time, when tragedy struck.

In recounting the days preceding and following the accident, which seriously injured one of his friends, the Times journalist Jon Mooallem explains how he was forced to reckon with his fears. Detailing the incident’s surprising repercussions, he muses on the importance of overcoming one’s fears, and finding poetry in life’s darkest moments.

This story was written by Jon Mooallem. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.