Splashing Into Some Deadly Research

Over at Inkspot today, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, I'm talking about the remote whitewater rafting trip I'm taking this week to conduct research for the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures mystery series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner. Please stop by and make a comment. As soon as I get back to dry land and someplace with wifi access, I'll respond.

If you're a writer, what is an interesting/dangerous research experience you've gone through to make your fiction realistic? If you're a reader, how much realism do you expect in a fictional mystery, and do you enjoy mysteries that take place in risky outdoor settings or activities?