By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal

Charles Williams’ hike went from sunny to scary in an instant.

He had been hiking all day on the Pacific Crest Trail when he reached the south fork of the Kings River near Mather Pass, south of Bishop.

Williams, 46, of Quincy is an avid hiker with high-altitude experience and while the stream looked daunting he thought finding the right location would allow him to cross without incident.

So he hiked along the river until he found a spot where two islands divided the stream into smaller channels and started to cross.

Then, almost as quickly as he got swept away, the river spit him out of the current and close to some overhanging brush.

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