It was pure luck a fisherman clinging to the side of his boat was heard calling for help on Sheridan Lake last Sunday, Sept. 18.

Brent Gill, general manager for the recently reopened Piney Point Resort, said a distant cry for help was heard around 5 p.m. by resort guest Graham Archer. After spotting a dot on the water, Gill went out to investigate with Archer and Don Reilly and came upon a man holding onto a small 12-foot aluminum boat.

鈥淲e could see his feet coming up on the port side of the boat and when we came around to the starboard side we found he was just hanging on with one arm,鈥� Gill said. 鈥淗e was hyperventilating and not doing well at all.鈥�

The rescuers sprung into action to pull the man from the water. Gill said they pulled up parallel to the boat and shoved it away before he and Archer hoisted the man onto their own boat. The entire rescue was caught on a GoPro worn by one of the rescuers.

鈥淗e had zero strength left, honestly. With the water temperature being so frigid and not knowing how long he was in there he probably only had a few minutes left.鈥�

Gill said they headed back to the resort where they stripped the man鈥檚 clothes, wrapped him in blankets and used Gill鈥檚 truck to warm him up. Once he鈥檇 recovered Gill said they took him back to his camp, which was on the opposite side of the lake at Sheridan Lake Resort.

Gill said the man, who only introduced himself as Richard, did not remember how he鈥檇 ended up in the lake. Gill said he assumes that because of the boat鈥檚 narrow profile and the fact engine wasn鈥檛 running it鈥檚 likely Richard lost his balance looking over the edge.

鈥淗e went over and the cold water shock disabled him from being able to crawl onto his boat,鈥� Gill said.

The part of the incident Gill keeps coming back to is how lucky Richard was. The cry for help was faint and if anyone had been playing music, running a chainsaw or even idling their truck, he鈥檚 doubtful Archer would have heard him.

As a resort manager Gill said this should reinforce for everyone how important wearing life jackets and safety whistles are while boating on any lake. It鈥檚 easy to get complacent but he said being prepared can make all the difference in an emergency.

鈥淚n the summer the water temperature is really warm on some of these lakes but in the fall we start getting subzero evenings and the water temperatures drop drastically and it鈥檚 no joke when someone goes is,鈥� Gill said.

patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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