3 year anniversay of Wayne Otto's Passing

[Andy Sabisch]

For those of you that remember Wayne Otto from Outdoor Outfitters, you know he is someone that would have helped anyone in the hobby. He was an active promoter of all aspects of the hobby and always supported clubs and hunts across the US.

Three years ago - on 8/14/05 - Outdoor Outfitters and the metal detecting community suffered a great loss when Wayne Otto drowned while water hunting in a Wisconsin lake with some of his friends. Despite being a relative newcomer to the hobby, Wayne quickly became a familiar icon at hunts around the country and an essential part of Outdoor Outfitters after Gary & Arlynn Bischke passed away several years ago and their daughter Teri took over the reigns. He was always available to help dealers and customers alike and went the extra mile in working with all of the manufacturers to help promote their products and build up the ranks of the hobby. He seemed to thrive on challenges and always seemed to find solutions!

While he was an avid detectorist, Wayne loved his family more than any "treasure" he could have found. His wife, Teri, and his children, Wolfgang, Angela and Morgan, meant everything to him and he was always able to make time to spend with them doing the things they enjoyed . . . . . Any of you that spent much time at all talking with Wayne know that his feelings for them somehow always found their way into the conversation.

Many of you helped support a raffle held to provide a college fund for his three kids which was a huge success.

I'd urge all of us to be thankful for the treasures we have and if you can, take a minute, look up and say "Hi" to Wayne as he looks down on his wife and kids . . . . . .

While the raffle is now a part of history, you an still visit he site and see some of Wayne's photos including the family . . . . . . thanks for all that helped during that time. (http://wayneottoraffle.com/index.htm)

Andy Sabisch

 

[king-ghidorah]

How horrible! I almost started crying when I seen his kids picking the tickets out of the box for the raffle. I never knew the guy but he seemed like a lively, honest person. My condolences to his wife & his beautiful children.

 

[dl_mooney]

Its SAD when a person passes. dl_mooney BH Time Ranger

 

[beernutz]

Without being ghoulish, can someone describe the circumstances of the drowning? Was it preventable?
I am a new water surf hunter and this is the first I've heard of someone drowning while water hunting.

 

[king-ghidorah]

Without being ghoulish, can someone describe the circumstances of the drowning? Was it preventable?
I am a new water surf hunter and this is the first I've heard of someone drowning while water hunting.

Actually someone died about 3-4 weeks ago hunting and someone posted it here. I do not know the actual circumstances. I just remember he was out on the water and then he started yelling Help! and by the time people got to him, he was dead. That incident to me didn't sound like a drowning though.

 

[Maui Mike]

* hat off* and head bowed... travel well sir.

 

[thinkin2]

Without being ghoulish, can someone describe the circumstances of the drowning? Was it preventable?
I am a new water surf hunter and this is the first I've heard of someone drowning while water hunting.

I'm not sure about inland waters like lakes, etc., although rivers will usually have currents and currents can get you into trouble. But on the coast when you're hunting in the ocean whether wading or diving you can get caught by rip currents. When this happens most people panic and try to fight the current (I assume this is true with inland rivers) and they are fighting a losing battle. This probably happens more to surf hunters (and swimmers) than divers because divers are taught how to react to these situations and they have gear that can keep them alive so I'll address this to non divers. If you ever find yourself being swept away by a rip current or even the current of an inland river don't panic and don't try to fight it or swim against it. Ditch all your gear unless you have something that will help you stay afloat. Your gear can be replaced, you cannot. Ride with the current and swim at an angle to it, never directly against it. Even the ocean rip currents will eventually weaken and let you swim back in. Main thing to remember is NEVER PANIC AND DON'T DO THE WATER ALONE. Always have a plan and stick to it. Educate yourself about the surroundings you will hunt in and if you haven't had courses in water safety, get one now. It just may save your life. I live on the coast and probably most, if not all, of the drownings we have are because someone gets caught in a rip current and panics. Emergency situations are not the time for learning. Do it now.
Jerry

 

[Teri Otto]

Andy,

Thank you so very much for thinking about Wayne and our family. To answer "what happened" will always be unknown. Wayne was an avid swimmer and spent a lot of time in the water - both water hunting and swimming with the kids. He grew up on a lake and was also in the Navy. If I had to guess, I would have to say that he had a heart or breathing issue while in the water. Unfortunately, although I requested an autopsy, it was not performed. It isn't mandatory in Wisconsin and is up to the coroner. Wayne wasn't wearing waders (I had to ask although I knew that he knew better). Although the first reports said "a man fell into a deep hole and drowned", that wasn't the case, it was a deeper area that he had walked into, but it wasn't a "big hole". The friends he was with were trained in CPR. As far as preventable and precautions that should be taken while water hunting, I would say that any water activities can result in tragedy. It doesn't matter what your water skills are if something unexpected happens. There are flotation devices that inflate on being submersed, or inflate when you pull a cord. Would I consider that "mandatory equipment" - yes. If you can afford a water detector and all the gear, you can afford to offer yourself some time in case of a problem, be it a medical or tidal issue.

I also saw the posting about the Michigan drowning and all my prayers go to that family.

Metal Detecting is not the passive sport that some people think it is. Sink holes, quick sand, rip tides, snakes, spiders, and nasty vegitation are just a small list of what needs to be thought about.

Again, be aware of your location and think about what could happen and what you can do to prevent a tragedy.



Teri

 

[thinkin2]

Andy,

Thank you so very much for thinking about Wayne and our family. To answer "what happened" will always be unknown. Wayne was an avid swimmer and spent a lot of time in the water - both water hunting and swimming with the kids. He grew up on a lake and was also in the Navy. If I had to guess, I would have to say that he had a heart or breathing issue while in the water. Unfortunately, although I requested an autopsy, it was not performed. It isn't mandatory in Wisconsin and is up to the coroner. Wayne wasn't wearing waders (I had to ask although I knew that he knew better). Although the first reports said "a man fell into a deep hole and drowned", that wasn't the case, it was a deeper area that he had walked into, but it wasn't a "big hole". The friends he was with were trained in CPR. As far as preventable and precautions that should be taken while water hunting, I would say that any water activities can result in tragedy. It doesn't matter what your water skills are if something unexpected happens. There are flotation devices that inflate on being submersed, or inflate when you pull a cord. Would I consider that "mandatory equipment" - yes. If you can afford a water detector and all the gear, you can afford to offer yourself some time in case of a problem, be it a medical or tidal issue.

I also saw the posting about the Michigan drowning and all my prayers go to that family.

Metal Detecting is not the passive sport that some people think it is. Sink holes, quick sand, rip tides, snakes, spiders, and nasty vegitation are just a small list of what needs to be thought about.

Again, be aware of your location and think about what could happen and what you can do to prevent a tragedy.



Teri

Mrs. Otto,
First let me say how very sorry I am for your loss. I know that words do little to ease the pain you are feeling now but I will pray for you and your family, that God will give you the strength that you need and fill your heart with peace and sweet memories.

My post above was in answer to beernutz, who is new to water hunting and looking for answers to better prepare himself. While I totally agree with everything in your post I have placed in bold a couple of sentences that I would like to address, particularly the second sentence. While it is true that one can be trained and totally prepared and yet still fall victim to tragedy, training and preparation can and often does make the difference. Water survival skills aren't just a good idea, they should be mandatory. It is the unexpected that we must prepare for so that when it comes we are as ready as we can be. It may not insure our survival but it gives us a fighting chance. Without proper training and preparation our chances would be small to nil. As a career Navy man myself, I salute Wayne's service. I obviously don't know the circumstances of what happened to him but he obviously had training so my post is in no way intended to imply that he didn't. It was only meant to offer advice to someone new to this sport in hopes it might someday save his life should he run into trouble. Again, please accept my sincerest condolensces.
Jerry

 

[beernutz]

Ms. Otto, I am terribly sorry for your loss and I did not mean to imply or infer that Wayne was in any way at fault for his death. My prayers go out to you and your family on this tragic anniversary.

Jerry is absolutely correct, I am a brand new surf water hunter who only wanted to know the circumstances of Wayne's death in order to possibly better prepare myself and hopefully protect my own life. Thank you Jerry for your advice, and you can believe that I have taken it to heart.

The last time I was surf hunting on the gulf coast the surf was so bad that I was knocked over several times, had my headphones knocked off my head, etc. and I was only about 15-20 feet into the water. I did not feel safe and left the water even though I am a very good swimmer and was a lifeguard for several years as a teenager. As that guy on Hill Street Blues used to say, "Let's be careful out there, folks."