Geocaching outing turns
tragic
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July 22, 2011 |
Geocaching is a high-tech pastime enjoyed by
millions around the world, who glean hints from
the Internet on "treasures," usually of little
value, hidden in places around the world. Using
the hints and GPS coordinates that help them
reach the general area, geocachers set out on
treks to find those treasures for the sheer joy
of visiting new places, solving the mystery and
tallying their successes on websites dedicated
to the the challenge.
On Wednesday, just such a trip turned tragic for
two Bonners Ferry families.
Lifelong Bonners Ferry resident Jack Flinn, his
wife, Violet, her twin sister, Velda, and
husband Robert W. "Bob" North, avid geocacher's
all, traveled north to British Columbia in
search of their next geocache find.
"We've gone geochaching as far away as Arizona
and New Mexico," Jack said. "It was something we
just enjoyed doing."
On July 20, they crossed the U.S./Canada border
and followed the clues north on Highway 3A to an
overlook on Kootenay Lake, about two miles north
of the Glass House, where a cache was supposed
to be hidden. Rated 1.5 on a difficulty scale of
five, the cache should have been easy to find.
"A six-year-old can typically find a 1.5 if they
reach the right area," Jack said.
While Violet and Velda stayed behind in the
camper, Jack and Bob fanned out to look for the
cache.
"The area was basically flat, then it dropped
off down a grassy slope of about 45-degrees,"
Jack said. Bob, 75, went to search on the slope,
lost his footing and slid down the hill. Jack
saw him fall and ran over to help, but watched
in horror as Bob, gaining speed on the slick,
dewy grass, slid headfirst down the slope,
ramming head-on into a large tree.
"All I could do was watch him slide, and there
was nothing he could do to slow himself," Jack
said.
Jack ran down the hill to his long-time friend
and brother-in-law, pulled him away from the
tree, and used his own body to keep Bob from
rolling farther down the hill.
"I should have gone feet first," Bob told him,
as Jack let loose his loud, shrieking whistles
to summon help.
His whistles caught the attention of a family of
three who happened to be nearby. After the wife
ascertained that Jack needed help, her husband,
who happened to be a firefighter and EMT, soon
joined Jack at Bob's side as his wife called for
help.
Kootenay Heli Rescue, Nelson, B.C., launched two
helicopters, an ambulance was dispatched from
Creston and Nelson Search and Rescue was called
in.
After talking to his brother in law for a
moment, Bob began gasping for breath, then fell
silent. Jack and the EMT, whose name is not
known, initiated CPR as they waited for help to
arrive. By the time Nelson Search and Rescue
members arrived on scene, CPR had been in
progress for several minutes, and they called
off the helicopters, calling in a hillside
rescue team to recover North's body.
Bob and Jack had been friends for years, long
before they became family.
"We both worked for the phone company and met
around 1979," a visibly shaken Jack said. "He
lost his first wife to cancer, and he married my
sister-in-law, Violet's twin Velda, about 12
years ago. He was a great guy and we had a lot
of fun together.
"Please stop and think about how your world
would change in the blink of an eye. It does
happen ... I will truly miss you, Bob." |
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