[ganafagol]

> get rid of your life vest

This is terrible if not unresponsibly dangerous advice.

The top comment has a link to a database with cases of people drowning. The common pattern: if life vests were mentioned then those in the party who drowned were those who either took off their PFD or didn't wear one to start with.

Your best chance is to make it to the side of the river where the currents are less or nonexistent. A life vest increases your chances of making it there alive. Taking it off to dive down to some deep water outflow because somebody mentioned that stunt in some anecdote will get you killed for sure.

[jtbayly]

Actually, the only mention I saw of life vests was two men in a canoe who died while wearing them.