Lifeline (True story)

 

        My son Troy didn't have much time to think, he'd already slipped into the Stillwater section of a swollen river twice, he was soaked and exhausted. The day had started at about 8 a.m. Troy was competing in the one fly event, a local fishing  tournament.



        The river was high and movement fast because of the large amount of rain in recent days. It was very cold, despite the conditions I was having a good day fishing and already caught four nice Rainbow Trout.
        Wearing chest -high wader's and boots with carbide cleats,  I was standing on a familiar piece of rock ledge that stretches out underwater near the bridge. 
        Usually, at that spot I can see the bottom but on that day the water was high,  I was going by memory, since I had fished at the same spot for over 20 years. I misjudged my position because of the high water,  I slipped of the ledge.
        When I fell in, it actually took my breath away I hadn't realized how cold the water was. I made it back to shore OK, a little wet and a lot colder, but still up for more fishing. I considered calling it a day but decided to stick it out a little longer.

        Around 11:00 a.m I returned to my fishing spot, eventually walking a little further out, I shouldn't have done it, but I did.  I fell in again, much closer to the center of the river this time,  my feet could not touch bottom..... I struggled to get back to shore, I  saw the land getting further away, when I turned  to start swimming I was actually getting pulled away from shore by the current, it terrified me, I had  so much fear in me I was close to saying, I'm going to drown.
        There were some air pockets in the waders that helped keep me above water. I choosed not to unstrap them because I feared they would tangle my legs, and prevent me from being able  to kick toward shore. I spent a lot of money for that fly rod and didn't want to let go of it, I was at the point to let go. Luckily I didn't.
        In a last ditch effort,  I just rolled over onto my back and kicked with my feet , it worked....and I started to make progress toward shore until my feet touched bottom. Once on shore I was wet and sore, I had used all my strength to get out.....away from the current. I was standing under the Stillwater Bridge trying to regain my breath when I heard a girl yell...

        Earlier, I had noticed a few young people in a popular swimming area north of the bridge. They had large tubes, which had no holes in the center. I thought it odd that they were in the water on such cold day, but it seemed like they were staying on top of the tubes, and not getting wet.
        At first, I didn't pay much attention to the yelling, assuming that the teens were just playing. It really never dawned on me that there was a problem. But then I noticed the boy..... He was in the water.....fully clothed......holding onto the handle of the tube, being swept down river.
         They weren't intending on going in the water. They were going on tubes like someone would go down on a boat. The boy was holding onto the tube, trying to pull himself back on, I saw that he was getting tired. I yelled ,  "are you OK?" and the girl yelled over, "he's deaf".

        At this point, I was wiped out. I couldn't go back in,  I'm not afraid of water, but that water scared the hell out of me. I worried that once the boy got by me he would reach faster moving currents down river. What scared me was that he was losing his grip on the tube, the current was so strong that there was no way he could swim to shore.

        The only thing I could think of was my fly rod.  I had a floating orange fly line on the rod, I've cast that thing so many times that I could land it in a paper cup at a distance, so it was pretty easy to get it to him. I just casted my fly line further than him and laid the line down on the water. The boy saw it, he held onto the tube with one hand, and onto the line with the other, I ended up reeling him in with my fly rod.

        The boy was about 16 or 17 years old. Once I pulled him ashore, I tried to speak with him but I don't know sign language and the boy couldn't understand. I helped carry the tube up toward upper road. The people the boy was with, including the girl who yelled from the opposite shore, had parked a car in a parking area on Stillwater Road on the other side of the bridge.

        I never got the boy's name, I know it was stupid of me to have waded back into the water a second time, yet if I hadn't, I would have left and not been there to pull the boy from the water, at the right time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Reviews

[Donni]

you painted the scenes perfectly, I really felt the story unfold and I am not a sports fishing fan at all, but I loved this story. Good on ya! Thanks for sharing! Donni

[DanaRegen]

Wow Anita this is a special, lovely and moving story. You went from nearly being pulled downstream, to helping save a boys life. Im just glad that both of you are ok. Thanks for sharing this fantabulous story and keep up with the good writing, you have a takent.
-Dana :)

[John A Common]

I really like this story and I'm going to feature it in my group.

[Phenomena]

O wow thnx for requesting this to me it was worth reading it!!!=] That took courage for your son to do that and you should be proud!=] this read was very inspirational, true story. I always love a non-fiction! And I do agree with Missy Jane, I really wanted more details about some stuff. Another great write!=]
God Bless=]

[Carole]

Incredible story. If you reworked this a bit, I think you could find a magazine to submit it to. This isn't your every day story and it's very inspirational. Your son was in the right place at the right time, and personally-I don't believe in coincidence. Wow! What an encouraging read, Anita!

[We are young.]

This is very wonderful, it gave me chills, what a true hero!

[Pratibha]

i was so surprised at the strength and determination which Troy showed....If i had been there, i don't think i would have been able to do what he did...
God helped him be there at the right moment...God bless Troy for his selfless venture to save someone whom he did not even know...

[Victoria Harlequin]

Wow, this blew me away. This story makes me think of "everything happens for a reason".
This is really interesting and well written!

[Hisou_Tenshi]

Wonderful story. It's a good thing that Troy was there. Did he catch a cold?