Ryan Herden felt the canoe rocking before he could stop Jesse Springer from lunging into the chilly North Platte.

"I was like, 'Tire!'" Springer said.

That was all the reasoning he needed to tip the canoe and send him and Herden plunging into a foot of cold water. Altogether, Springer lugged 11 tires out of the drink during the first-ever Platte River Revival.

On the stretch of river adjacent to the Holiday Inn on the River, six tires were beached along the shoreline. One rested atop a 30 MPH speed limit sign. Another cradled a weathered Winnie the Pooh Speak and Say phone. All of it volunteers pried from the shallow river.

About 400 people walked along the Platte River Parkway or just jumped in to remove as much debris and pollution possible from the waterway.

"The turnout has been wonderful, especially for a first time at trying something like this," Liz Becher, who was directing volunteer traffic Saturday, said.

So many people had picked the riverbanks clean that she sent volunteers along parts of the Parkway that don't run right alongside the shore.

Those who took to the river kept busy.

"It's a piece of iron," Springer said, poking at the object with a shovel. "We don't know how big it is."

He and Herden, both members of the Casper Young Professionals Network, wrestled the iron from the riverbed and discovered that it was a road construction sign.

"We got a full set," Springer said.

"Trophy shot. Trophy shot," fellow volunteer Jim Nations said, and he snapped their picture.

Contact reporter Cory Matteson at (307) 266-0589 or cory.matteson@casperstartribune.net.