Geez. That group was clueless and they are lucky to be alive.
They probably thought the river was like the circular courses found at water parks.
But then you wonder do some people know what a river is, what a lake is, what a pond is, etc. Or understand that a river is not going to flow in a circle???
“Lucky to be alive”? In Iowa in the summer? Are the corn stalks going to eat them? The pigs going to petrify them with squeals? A few hours walk in any direction and you’ll find a farmhouse. You won’t freeze to death on a summer night. You won’t starve or die of thirst overnight.