Pulled Under

You probably know Jesse Hutch from his Hallmark and Great American Family movies. What you probably don't know is the near-death experience that changed his life long before he became an actor

- By JESSE HUTCH, Franklin, Tennessee

I stood on a rock ledge overlooking a section of the Ottawa River, right on the border between the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. I was wearing my work gear: white helmet, blue life jacket and shorts, Teva sandals. The thunderous crashing of the water filled the air. The clouds shifted and blocked the afternoon sun.

I stared down into the roiling water at a rapid I knew well. Maybe too well.

Coliseum—one of the trickiest rapids on the river. There was a series of three standing waves, each six to 15 feet high, their size and intensity changing depending on water level. Nobody knew I was out here except for the head of river safety at the Ontario resort where I worked as a whitewater raft guide.

It was one of the biggest resorts in my native Canada. I was 21 and had been working there for the past three years to pay my way through college. I was pursuing a degree in outdoor tourism and business. Being an outdoor guide was how I wanted to make a living. I'd already gotten search and rescue, wilderness first aid and swift-water rescue technician certifications.

I liked knowing that I could handle myself in any situation that life threw at me. I grew up quickly due to the fact my parents divorced when I was 11. Even before that, my mom had pretty much raised my younger brother and me as a single parent. My dad was a long-haul truck driver. He came and went—mostly went. On the rare occasions he was around, he didn't have much to say to us kids. After he and Mom split up, we didn't hear from him at all. Mom worked three jobs to support us, and I became the man of the house overnight, helping look after myself and my brother.

The only father figure I had was my Heavenly Father, the God my granny had taught me to pray to, the God in the Bible she'd given me. I pushed away male teachers, youth pastors and the men my mom dated. I didn't need them or anyone else. I was tough. Strong. Afraid of nothing.