Three Yakima rafters survived Sunday after their inflatable watercraft quickly capsized on an admittedly ill-advised excursion on the flood-swollen Yakima River.

The rafters -- one woman and two men in their 20s from Yakima -- managed to make it ashore, where they were counseled by a member of the rescue party.

"Needless to say, did everybody learn their lesson?" asked Yakima County sheriff's deputy Ernie Lowry once the trio had regathered at the R Street parking lot on the Yakima Greenway, where they started their short-lived trip.

"Yes," they said.

The three rafters -- Chris Guinn, 23; David Fries, 21; and Desirea Everts, 25 -- said they heard plenty of warnings not to risk the trip, but they thought they could make it.

Within 200 yards, the $39.99 raft flipped in some tree limbs, said Battalion Chief Mitch Cole of the Yakima Fire Department. Guinn made it out quickly, then the other two worked their way to shore about 300 yards downstream.

The pair on shore became concerned for Guinn because they couldn't see him, which prompted the search.

The three said it was a scary experience that made them wonder whether they were going to die.

"I was screaming for God," Everts said.

Lowry noted that the inflatable rafts are intended for ponds and swimming pools, not moving water. He also stressed that life jackets should be worn at all times.

The rafters' misadventure was the most harrowing incident reported in the Yakima area after authorities spent the weekend bracing for flood-related incidents on the Yakima and Naches rivers.

The rivers started filling last week as mountain snow melted during a heat wave, but the National Weather Service's latest forecast shows that the rivers should crest early this week.

Flood warnings remain in effect for the Naches River near Naches and Cliffdell, forecasters said. The Naches section was expected to crest at 18.8 feet by late Sunday -- 1.8 feet over flood stage; the Cliffdell section is expected to fluctuate around its 31-foot flood stage through Wednesday.

A crew from the Yakima city water department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent Sunday shoring up the dike that protects the city's water treatment from the Naches River. Some erosion was occurring along the bank, but no major damage was apparent.

Localized flooding was reported in expected areas such as Craig Road in the West Valley, where road crews were reinforcing the road, officials said.

The expected drop in river levels is good news because the Bureau of Reclamation on Friday had indicated that dam controllers would need to release backfill from Bumping Lake by later this week, said Jim Hall, director of the Yakima Valley Office of Emergency Management.

Bumping, part of the Naches system and one of the bureau's five irrigation reservoirs for the Yakima basin, acts as a sponge to contain excess water, but it was close to full at last report, Hall said.

Hall and others emphasized that residents should remain off the rivers because they are expected to run high for at least much of the week. Regardless of conditions or the time of year, local rivers can be dangerous for underequipped and undertrained boaters and other users.

After the weekend's hot spell, today's high of 84 should be the worst this week. Thursday may fall as low as 67 degrees during the day, according the National Weather Service.

* Mark Morey can be reached at 577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.