Pine Creek - wading fatality

[wgmiller]

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/willow-street-man-drowns-while-fishing-in-lycoming-county/article_a44b01ca-e906-11e4-8864-d38774061683.html

 

[geebee]

it doesn't say if he had a wading belt on - nor if the coronor checked for a heart attack, which imho is just as likely given his age.

my sympathies for his family, but at least he passed doing something he loved.

RIP

 

[GenCon]

What a shame. RIP. Very sorry for his family.

GenCon

 

[lycoflyfisher]

we got a lot of rain sunday night, the creeks were roaring... I wouldn't have even thought about trying to wade and Im a lot younger than 67.

prayers go out to his family but this is a wakeup call for fishermen, high water can not be taken lightly

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Oh man I just saw who it was on Lancaster Online. I just met this man at the Donegal TU banquet not long ago. He was seated at our table. What a shame. Pine went up 6" that day. Dangerous wading for sure!

 

[allan_s]

Very sad story

 

[wgmiller]

http://m.lancasteronline.com/news/local/he-was-my-hero-daughter-says-of-willow-street-man/article_a44b01ca-e906-11e4-8864-d38774061683.html?mode=jqm

A little more info. Tragic story.

 

[Chaz]

Pine Creek was a bit high for safe wading, but not excessively high. I was wading on Sunday and a the location I was there were about 8 other anglers. I'd assume that there were more than that at Slate Run because it's a popular location.
I hope they do an autopsy to make sure he didn't die of some other cause.
I never viewed the Slate Run area as a dangerous place to wade. I'll qualify it by saying I never waded it in high water. I always viewed 1500 as the wadeable maximum.
RIP, at least you died what you loved doing.

 

[McSneek]

Sadly his sister and grandson both loved to fly fish and will now have the memories that something that all three enjoyed so much contributed to a close loved one's death. There is nothing good about this tragic event.

 

[duckfoot]

McSneek wrote:
Sadly his sister and grandson both loved to fly fish and will now have the memories that something that all three enjoyed so much contributed to a close loved one's death. There is nothing good about this tragic event.

Not sure about that one. I understand that everyone's feelings and thoughts are their own, but I feel I can weigh in on this.

About ten years ago, we were playing our Thursday night show at a local bar when my friend hit the last chord to the tune and turned around to tell me the next tune. His face immediately blanked and he collapsed. I caught him from the front, my dad caught him from the back, and we both laid him down on the floor and did my best to help, but there's not really much you can do about a massive heart attack.

I was messed up for a week after we put him in the ground. I'll never forget his widow's face watching us work on him on the stage in front of thirty people.

But, after a while, I got to thinking about it, and my friend died doing exactly what he loved to do most with the people he liked to be around the most. How many people do you know that are privileged to go out that way?

I don't have any bad memories or associations with the event or playing music, but I did gain a new sense of appreciation for my hobby that hasn't been lost.

The sick irony of the situation? The last song he ever sang was Hank Williams' "Your Cheating Heart".

You can't make this stuff up.

Whenever I sing the first line with the big C chord kick, I think of my friend.

 

[dc410]

I just got the chance to meet and chat with "Bud" during the past two weeks as we were both helping out at a Donegal TU event. He was a very accomplished flyfisherman and fly tyer and a wealth of information. What a tragic event. My thoughts and prayers are with Bud's family as they grieve their loss.

 

[FiveWeight]

lycoflyfisher wrote:
we got a lot of rain sunday night, the creeks were roaring... I wouldn't have even thought about trying to wade and Im a lot younger than 67.

prayers go out to his family but this is a wakeup call for fishermen, high water can not be taken lightly

No water can be taken lightly. Its a constant, ever present pressure that does not weaken. You can't not fight it, it will overpower you in the long run. The power of water is truly an amazing force. When younger we all took bigger chances figuring we were strong enough to get ourselves out of harms way if need be. As I/we get older I think about things a bit more. I'm at an age where my mind says I can still do some of the things I did in my youth. But, that age also tells me to have a plan B. Just in case. Careful out there folks. It all happens in the blink of an eye. I get updates from Spruce n the LJ on the water flow n level. I have it set at 3ft. Even that level is iffy depending on the flow. Thoughts n prayers to the family.

 

[wgmiller]

FiveWeight wrote:
No water can be taken lightly.

Great rule of thumb. Any time you step foot in moving water, it has the ability to sweep you off your feet. The same as a few inches of moving water can float and displace a car, the same can be done with a human wading in a stream. Take a fall, smash your head on a rock and it's all over. Respect it.

 

[JohnPowers]

the ausable behind The Hungry Trout is ok but I haven't been below Wilmington in many years. just cant enjoy fishing in the midst of constant life-threatening danger. when they're rising on the far bank it takes discipline not to nudge forward.

 

[FiveWeight]

JohnPowers wrote:
the ausable behind The Hungry Trout is ok but I haven't been below Wilmington in many years. just cant enjoy fishing in the midst of constant life-threatening danger. when they're rising on the far bank it takes discipline not to nudge forward.

Funny how that works. The distance I can cast is directly proportionate to the danger of the current and the top of my waders!