“Lucy Runs the Rapids” #188

When Lucille Ball gets into hot water, it’s not necessarily “hot” water. The water in this instance is the icy H20 found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Arizona in the “Lucy Runs the Rapids” episode of “Here’s Lucy.”
In the process of delivering a camper pickup truck from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Lucy detours through Arizona, with Uncle Harry (Gale Gordon), Kim (Lucie Arnaz) and Craig (Desi, Jr.). Uncle Harry only discovers that they’re in Arizona when Lucy has to stop at Lees Ferry on the Colorado River.
On the way, Lucy is flagged down by a young man who needs a push for his car. He tells Lucy it has to be going 30 mph to get it started. So Lucy, misunderstanding, backs up and charges for the man’s stalled vehicle at that speed, stopping only at the last minute when she realizes that this doesn’t seem right. The near victim happens to be a guide for float trips down the Colorado.
Lucy finally pulls over to a spot where it is ideal for a picnic. There they see a raft gently swaying at the shoreline. Lucy climbs in and asks Harry to join her, but he’s afraid. With closed eyes and fear-stiffened arm, Harry unknowingly shoves the raft into deeper water. Harry falls in the water and needs help. Lucy finds a mooring line and tosses it to sputtering Harry.
The loop lands about his neck and begins to choke him. Then Lucy throws out an oar which plunks him on the head. Finally, Kim and Craig swim to Harry and manage to put him in the boat. They, too, climb in. By this time, they have drifted into the main channel. A man on the shore comes waving and running to warn them, but Lucy takes this as a friendly gesture.
It just so happens that not far downstream, a raft party led by the young man that Lucy almost rammed at 30, is beginning its river-powered journey. At this time, Lucy discovers that her raft has an outboard engine. She starts it and proceeds full speed ahead toward the full raft. When the young guide sees Lucy bearing down on him and his party, he can’t believe it.

Lucy careens into the people-laden raft and upends it. Lucy at the controls whisks farther down the river. Now the engine is jammed in a tight circle and Lucy thinks that they’re all caught in a whirlpool. Upon realization of what has happened, Lucy drops the engine into the river and they float onward.
Finding oars, Lucy and the kids paddle to some rocks along the shore to tie up until help arrives. Uncle Harry is on the bottom of the boat, reeling from sea sickness and the oar-clonk on the head that Lucy gave him.
Tied up, they hear the drone of an engine heading toward them. It’s the young river guide coming to save them. He maneuvers his craft and ties Lucy’s raft to his boat.
But Lucy, suspicious that this young man is only after Kim, takes a hunting knife and severs the tow line. They continue their drift downwards.
The Carters manage to survive several roiling rapids, raft punctures, etc. And finally, the small raft lands on a strand of rocky shore.
Having unloaded their camping gear, they build a fire and try to get rest.
Craig discovers an air compressor in the raft and blows up the air mattresses. All except the one under sleeping Uncle Harry. Lucy does that one, and wanders off while it’s still pumping air into it. The mattress finally blows up, and Uncle Harry comes tumbling after. Lucy explains to the startled Harry that he had a nightmare.
“The entire trip has been a nightmare,” retorts Harry.
Finally, all of them are sleeping, with Lucy nearest the water. She hears a strange gurgling sound and awakens to find that she’s adrift. The others jump out of their sacks and go to her rescue. Clinging together like a human chain, they bob and bounce down another angry rapid only to be cast out again on to shore. A happy man runs to their side and congratulates Lucy for breaking the record.