Strawberry 8/18- 8/19, sad incident.

[gmwahl]

Well, after begging some help off of the strawberry regulars about jigging for cutts, I'll give my report.

We tried for Kokes both days, but the Kokes were non-existent for us. We tried jigging for cutts and rainbows both days also, but caught no rainbows either. The Cutthroats however.....fast and easy fishing for loads of 15-20" cutts. We just set up for a drift and tossed 1/4 and 1/2 ounce jigs with tube skirts or 3" gulp minnows and cast as far into the wind as possible and SLOWLY worked it back to the boat with small pops of the rod and caught fish most casts. There were solid 10' thick schools of fish showing below us many times that lasted for a few minutes each time, but no bites from them. I'm thinking Kokanees with lock jaw or possibly chubs since we caught a chub when trolling through one of those masses of fish.

Now the part...

Saturday morning right after we launched I was with the kids in the boat waiting just out from the docks for my brother to park and come back down so that I could pick him up, a boat zoomed in and beached east of the docks. A kid jumped out and was running up the ramp yelling for a doctor because his grandfather was having a heart attack. The kids dad was on the boat trying to help the grandfather. I motored closer and asked if they needed medical help and when they yelled yes I pulled up to the dock and jumped off and ran over and jumped on their boat. They were trying to do CPR, but not very well at all. I told them I am a medic and took over and started CPR. A couple minutes later I looked up and saw my brother walking down the ramp and since he is also a medic I yelled for him to come help me. He jumped on and we took turns doing CPR while the victims son did the rescue breathing. Soon a cop from North Logan (who my brother coincidentally used to work with) jumped on and started helping us. He knew of another medic that was fishing nearby and called him on the phone to come and help us. When he arrived I recognized him as a Logan Firefighter/medic that I know and he jumped on and helped. We worked the guy for at least a half hour until Wasatch County Fire/EMS showed up and we continued working on the guy with them until Airmed showed up. We then moved the guy into the ambulance where Airmed and Wasatch County kept working him. Unfortunately the poor guy didn't make it. He was only 67 years old. Very tragic and not very old. I kept thinking for the rest of the day that when I check out, I want it to be like that......fishing with my family! Our kids watched the whole thing and were a little unsettled about it though.

Anyway, the fishing was decent, the camping was great, family was perfect, and I ALMOST got my batteries recharged from a summer season of Fire/EMS call outs. I guess work still found me even while camping, but I suppose that's fate.

Bring on the fall fishing at Bear Lake now!!

Mike
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[retch_sweeney]

Thanks for doing what you could. Heart attacks can happen to any of us anywhere.
Knowing how to properly perform CPR should be a skill we all have.
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[RockyRaab]

You put your life skills to work and gave that guy the best possible chance. Nobody can do more than that.

Except for the trauma it caused his grandkids, that is indeed a good way to go out.
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[WET1]

Great job doing all you guys could for the poor fellow Mike... Same thing happened to another gentleman at the Soldier Creek Campground in July. He was with his grandson as well. Unfortunately, he didn't make it either.

I agree with you though that this would be a much preferred way to check out given other alternatives.
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[lovetofish]

As a heart attack survivor myself a big thank you to you and your brother and all others who tried to help. Must be something about 8/18 because that is the exact same day that I had a heart attack 30 years ago.I am now 73 years old and feel very lucky to still be alive and well.
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[sliverslinger]

I believe the good Lord places specific people in our paths. Even with the outcome, I am sure that the family found comfort that you all were there at that time to do everything possible for their dad. Thank you for sharing.
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[liketrolling]

[quote gmwahl]Well, after begging some help off of the strawberry regulars about jigging for cutts, I'll give my report.

There were solid 10' thick schools of fish showing below us many times that lasted for a few minutes each time, but no bites from them. I'm thinking Kokanees with lock jaw or possibly chubs since we caught a chub when trolling through one of those masses of fish.



Mike[/quote]
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I would bet there chubs
this is what chubs look like on my fishfinder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTgO74n2aD4
they are all over strawberry the kokanee a lot of the time are deeper than chubs


by the way great post thanks for helping
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[Old_Coot]

Thanks for that video Robert. I seen a lot of those same displays on my fish finder as has been described above. I always assumed that they were kokes but I didn't think that kokes would be so close to the shore where I was jigging. So now, because of your video, I am certain that I too was seeing chub.

Also, as those balls of chub passed through, right after, we would ALWAYS catch a few cutthroats. So again, that solidifies in my mind that they are chub.

Thanks Robert!
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[Tin-Can]

Mike, ya done the very best you could for that fellow. I believe that CPR is probably the most important first aid action everyone should learn. As an aircraft electrician for over 40 years I have had to re-certify every 2 years. That's a good thing cuz there have been lots of changes since it was called mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Bless you and all the others that were involved in that valiant attempt.
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[gmwahl]

Thanks a lot for the kind words guys.

I've done CPR more times than I can possibly remember, so it doesn't really bother me much anymore (except for seeing the extreme grief of the family and friends that always seem to be present), but this was my first time doing CPR as "joe citizen" and its tough to do knowing that I don't have the equipment and medications that I'm used to having at my disposal. I was just praying for Airmed or Wasatch County EMS to get there quick. It must be even harder for those who aren't used to doing CPR, so my hat is off to those there that offered to take turns doing compressions if needed. Lots of good people out there!

You are absolutely correct that CPR is probably the most important first aid training that one can get. The odds go WAY up for the patient if high quality CPR is started immediately. If the victim has to wait 10 minutes before CPR is started then the odds are almost zero......cold water drownings are the exception. Getting on compressions and keeping it going until help arrives is #1! Good to know for us ice fisherman.

I gotta get back up there soon for another try for the rainbows and a slot buster cut.

Mike
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