Carole and I have spend the days leading into Father's Day and then after on Priest Lake. We enjoyed the area and those persons met on and off the water. Most certainly we will be there again. Hopefully none of you will find yourselves in this situation....
Saturday late, almost dusk, we were nosed into the beach on Upper Priest Lake at Trapper Creek Camp ground. Settling in to relax following a day of hikes and fly fishing. But then, with the help of two great new friends, a life, maybe two, were saved...
I will be brief, to the points of understanding, as I have a tendency to sometimes ramble.
A father and son (2 1/2 yr old) had been fishing from a small boat. The father fell overboard, without a life jacket, or clipped to the kill switch, leaving the son in the boat with the outboard running. The son and boat continued on until the boat ran against the overgrowth at the opposite shore. None of us saw this occur only hearing the father yelling for help. However, because of other campers, young boys nearby, it took us a few minutes to understand the reality of what was happening. We thought maybe the young boys were the source. Once the calls for help were understood and realized the calls were originating from somewhere south our concerns for the source set in.
A neighbor camper, Dave and his daughter Heather, and I left camp in Dave's runnabout to investigate. Again we did not realize what was occuring nor did we see the father in the water until we were almost to the center of the lake. And then we only saw a small ripple in the water from him swimming or treading water. the fact the wind was down and the water glass smooth were we able to see him. Deep shadows were filling in making viewing difficult.
Later we estimated him has having been in the 43 or 40 degree water for 15/20 minutes. Once in our runabout he was seen to be without skin color, hands and finger nails a dark gray, lips extremely purple gray with the facial skin drawn tightly back to expose both upper and lower teeth. He was most certainly hypothermic. Once in the boat he was able to make himself understood but appeared to be going further downhill.
We feared for him but feared even more when he told us his son was "out there". At first we saw nothing else on the water and thought his boat had sunk or overturned. Heather brought good news seeing his boat against the far shore.
I'll skip ahead... We found the son in the small boat without a life jacket on, nor one in the boat, with the running motor holding the boat into the bushes.
The three of us did the logical steps, getting his clothing off, and warming him best we could until turning over to EMTs.
There is more to the actions of the father which really raises those what if questions. The bottom line they were very very lucky. I am glade Dave, Heather and I were there to assist. We talked the next morning and neither of us slept much because of that what if question..
I related this to Guy Martin, Coast Guard, who asked that we share our story hoping to remind everyone to be safe.
The best,
Mike
Kestrel
Saturday late, almost dusk, we were nosed into the beach on Upper Priest Lake at Trapper Creek Camp ground. Settling in to relax following a day of hikes and fly fishing. But then, with the help of two great new friends, a life, maybe two, were saved...
I will be brief, to the points of understanding, as I have a tendency to sometimes ramble.
A father and son (2 1/2 yr old) had been fishing from a small boat. The father fell overboard, without a life jacket, or clipped to the kill switch, leaving the son in the boat with the outboard running. The son and boat continued on until the boat ran against the overgrowth at the opposite shore. None of us saw this occur only hearing the father yelling for help. However, because of other campers, young boys nearby, it took us a few minutes to understand the reality of what was happening. We thought maybe the young boys were the source. Once the calls for help were understood and realized the calls were originating from somewhere south our concerns for the source set in.
A neighbor camper, Dave and his daughter Heather, and I left camp in Dave's runnabout to investigate. Again we did not realize what was occuring nor did we see the father in the water until we were almost to the center of the lake. And then we only saw a small ripple in the water from him swimming or treading water. the fact the wind was down and the water glass smooth were we able to see him. Deep shadows were filling in making viewing difficult.
Later we estimated him has having been in the 43 or 40 degree water for 15/20 minutes. Once in our runabout he was seen to be without skin color, hands and finger nails a dark gray, lips extremely purple gray with the facial skin drawn tightly back to expose both upper and lower teeth. He was most certainly hypothermic. Once in the boat he was able to make himself understood but appeared to be going further downhill.
We feared for him but feared even more when he told us his son was "out there". At first we saw nothing else on the water and thought his boat had sunk or overturned. Heather brought good news seeing his boat against the far shore.
I'll skip ahead... We found the son in the small boat without a life jacket on, nor one in the boat, with the running motor holding the boat into the bushes.
The three of us did the logical steps, getting his clothing off, and warming him best we could until turning over to EMTs.
There is more to the actions of the father which really raises those what if questions. The bottom line they were very very lucky. I am glade Dave, Heather and I were there to assist. We talked the next morning and neither of us slept much because of that what if question..
I related this to Guy Martin, Coast Guard, who asked that we share our story hoping to remind everyone to be safe.
The best,
Mike
Kestrel