A railroad bridge over the Wisconsin River east of Lone Rock just about spilled Jay Thurston and Mike Kinziger in the water early Thursday afternoon.

The entire Lower Wisconsin Riverway is flooded and there are debris in the water that get stuck at bridges. Thurston and Kinziger approached a railroad bridge near some debris and were caught in an eddy that spun their canoe completely around 180 degrees.

However, decades of canoeing skill and knowledge prevailed, and the pair found an opening and headed down the river, reaching Lone Rock at about 2 p.m.

“We know that state officials are asking that nobody goes in the water because the flooding has left it a mess with sewage and bacteria,” Diana Thurston, Jay’s wife, said from Lone Rock. “The last thing they want to do is go in the water, so they’re really going to have to watch debris and their approaches at bridges.”

Thurston and Kinziger are still hoping to make it to the Boscobel boat landing by nightfall. They should arrive at Muscoda at about 4 p.m.

Their itinerary says that if they start at Boscobel tomorrow with good weather, they should reach the Mississippi River by about 11 a.m. and Prairie du Chien between noon and 1 p.m.

The Broadcaster plans to have an update Thursday evening. Website updates will be available subject to cell phone reception and the support needs of Thurston and Kinziger as they head downstream. Jay Thurston, 75, of Viroqua and Mike Kinziger, 60, of Moscow, Idaho, are attempting to paddle the length of the Wisconsin River. Their main goal is to finish the trip, but they would also like to eclipse the record they set in 1983 when they canoed the Wisconsin in just over eight days. Their itinerary called for them to finish the river in six days and 10 hours, but strong winds during their attempt to paddle down the northern Wisconsin portion of the river set them back by a full day at one point. Mike and Jay appreciate the support they’ve received from family and friends through the internet posts on this chain of stories.