After a harrowing experience just minutes into a trip down the Kennebec River, a well-known Westbrook business owner’s first rafting excursion quickly became his last.

Don Littlefield, who owns Sportsman’s Hardware and several other properties in Westbrook, was released from Mercy Hospital in Portland last Thursday after complications from nearly drowning in West Forks Aug. 10.

Littlefield, of Scarborough, said Tuesday he had just started his first rafting trip with wife Tracy, their 11-year-old son Nate and five other friends, when a 30-foot wave turned their raft over, dumping all of them into the water.

Though Littlefield said they had heard the conditions were supposed to be good that day, “it was anything but mild.” He said he heard that at least five other rafts full of people had to be recovered in the Kennebec River at around the same time.

Littlefield said he counted himself the best swimmer among his crew, but was the last one left in the water after turning over.

While yelling to his son to keep his feet up and struggling to keep his own head above water, Littlefield, who was wearing a life jacket, got pulled under before taking a breath of air.

“I had a point where I knew I wasn’t going to make it,” he said. “I thought, ‘If I don’t get to the surface quickly, this is going to be the end.'”

Littlefield didn’t get to the surface quickly enough and his body reached its limit. He was face-down in the water and the rafting guide assumed he had already drowned as he tried to lift Littlefield into the boat.

Littlefield did eventually catch his breath again, and though he said he felt awful, he assumed he was fine.

After driving all the way back home, he agreed to be admitted to the hospital to get checked up. There, doctors said he had done damage to his heart, kidneys and liver and kept him under watch for five days. Though Littlefield said he has just begun to walk again, he may have liver problems for the rest of his life.

Littlefield said he expects to return to work at the hardware store next week, but his life has been changed forever.

“I was the most horrific thing I’d ever been in in my life,” he said. “It’s amazing how it puts things in perspective.”

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