Fishing - Hypothermia

BJ Conner wrote:
Sorry to hear about your friend.
I have been involved with one close call in cold water. I'll take Frank
Reids suggestion one step further. When the waters and the air are clod a
highway flare is a fast way to get a fire going.. I carry a couple in the
back of my vest at times when sane people are indoors. Waterproof matches
just aren't enough fire fast enough. It's hard and time consuming to cut
kindling and build a fire when your shaking and can't control yourself.
When the weather warms up put the flares back in your car. If your out
sometimes and it's damp and cold and you just want a fire to warm up with
try starting one with a flare. It's just practice but when you've taken a
45 degree bath you want a fire now.not in thirty minutes.

i
"Dave LaCourse" wrote in message
...

A friend of about 23 years died last Thursday of hypothermia while

canoeing in

New Hampshire. Steve Bryant - mid 50s - was the lead guitar in a group I

used

to sing with about 20 years ago. He was born and raised in Maine, and was

an

accomplished canoeist and kayaker. He and friends were in the Bristol

area of

New Hampshire cross country skiing. Steve owned a condo in the area. He

saw

a river that he hadn't canoed in awhile, so put in and went alone.

Usually

very cautious and aware of what *could* go wrong, he made a big mistake:

he did

not wear a wet suit, and had no change of clothes in a water proof bag.

As

good as he was, he tipped. He did, however, manage to get ashore.

The water temp was 36F, so without warm/dry clothes, he didn't have much

of a

chance. There were no homes or roads in the area where he tipped over.

The

police found him at 2:30a.m very near the river. His canoe was found a

short

distance down stream.

This got me to thinking about wading in cold water and in cold weather.

I'm

sure most of us have waded in water that was in the 40s. I don't know

about

you, but I suddenly realized that I have been rather cavalier about it.
Although I have never gone full immersion, I have gone over my waders and
thought nothing of it. Although I was cold and shivering, I kept on

fishing

*and* wading. I think Steve's death will open my eyes a little bit more.
Dave

Very sorry to hear about your friend. We lost a good friend many years
ago much the same way.