As first reported in a Facebook post by Sierra Rios owner James “Rocky” Contos, Oregon river guide Larry Patrick Firman, 68, died in early November while kayaking on a day trip down Zimbabwe’s Zambei River. Our love and condolences go out to Larry’s friends and family…
Facebook Post:
“It is with a heavy heart that I report the death of “Larry” Lawrence Patrick Firman while kayaking on a day-trip on the Zambezi several days ago on a trip that I organized (through Global Grand Canyons/SierraRios and our partner company registered in Zambia: Nyami Nyami Rafting). I was present on the river at the time of the incident but was with a separate group and did not arrive on the scene until about 50 minutes after it occurred. Larry was loved by all the guides and friends who I’ve spoken to and communicated with. According to Nate Goslin, Larry was a guide for 35 consecutive seasons (many/most at River Drifters based in Maupin, Oregon). Cole Shepherd and a group of other guides from River Drifters, along with a friend and a couple of other guides who joined from California, chartered this trip where they did the full 12-day expedition starting ~50 km above Victoria Falls and continuing 131 km downstream past the Falls through the entire Batoka Gorge (threatened to be flooded with a dam). Some members said it was a dream come true for Larry to be rafting and kayaking the Zambezi. Larry kayaked through the main rapids section on this expedition trip and did fine, and all apparently had a great time. The day after the expedition trip ended, many of the group were doing a day-trip going through the initial rapids section below the falls again (from #1-#14) when Larry became unresponsive while upside-down in his kayak at the end of Rapid #7 (Gulliver’s Travels) and died. The report has more details. Everyone in the group who knew Larry from the expedition trip and beyond were extremely distraught at his passing. I express my sincerest condolences to them and his surviving friends and family.
Official accident report:
American river guide Lawrence Patrick Firman dies while kayaking the Zambezi
Lawrence Patrick Firman, 68 years old, an expert kayaker and rafting guide for over 35 consecutive seasons in the USA, died while kayaking the Zambezi river on November 13, 2025. “Larry” was part of a group of over a dozen river guides (including several Zambian guides and also one non-river guide participant) who had completed a 12-day expedition trip down the Zambezi river during which Larry had kayaked through the main rapids on the river successfully. On the day after the expedition trip ended, most of the same group were doing a day-trip through the main rapids section of the river again along with 3 local river guides (from Zambia and Zimbabwe, with leader Thando Lungu) when the incident occurred. This group of 12 river guides plus 1 non-guide were in 2 paddle rafts and 2 kayaks. The two kayakers were Larry and another expert kayaker and river guide from Mexico (Uriel Arroyo). According to Uriel, who was close to Larry on the water as the incident occurred, they entered Rapid #7 just before 3 pm and kayaked through most of the rapid to the very end section known as Land of the Giants, where Larry entered a big hole that flipped him and surfed him to the left where he drifted out upside-down on that side of the channel. Uriel saw Larry attempt about 5 Eskimo rolls as he drifted down to a rock island after the rapid, but then saw no more roll attempts as Larry’s kayak drifted to the left side of the river in the eddy. Uriel paddled up to Larry’s kayak and found him still in the kayak upside-down. The total time from flipping over until Larry becoming unresponsive was estimated at less than 40 seconds. Uriel towed Larry’s kayak to the side of the river, pulled him out, noted no pulse or breathing, and started CPR (within 2.5 minutes of Larry first flipping over). The raft crews arrived shortly afterwards and helped with CPR. A Garmin InReach and cell phone were used to alert emergency evacuation services starting shortly afterwards. Larry did not revive over the next ~30 min, when the group decided to move Larry downstream on the raft (while continuing CPR) to the helipad below Rapid #7b where they started attempting to flag down passing helicopters while waiting for the one hailed with the communications available. Another rafting/kayaking group (led by Darwin Situmbeko and James “Rocky” Contos) arrived approximately 50 min after the incident and lent assistance in moving Larry and all the boats out of the water. Larry’s friend Nate Goslin, who had been helping administer CPR, flew in the helicopter back to town and continued CPR until medical officials took over. Larry was pronounced dead soon afterward. Larry had not listed any allergies or medical conditions in a query section when providing information about himself to the trip organizers (James Contos and Obey Hamuchemba of Nyami Nyami Rafting), but the group did find an albuterol inhaler in a Ziplock in the PFD that Larry was wearing at the time of the incident. We do not have further details on Larry’s known medical conditions or if any were involved in him becoming unresponsive while upside down in the kayak. We continue working with the police of Livingstone regarding the incident and the US Embassy in Zambia to repatriate Larry’s remains and communicate with next of kin. Larry was a loving soul and will be missed dearly by all his friends.
—Report written by James Contos