So a while back, oh in the early 90s, my best friend and I , who I have mentioned a time or two in regards to diving exploits, had gotten a little too much into our cups with a wee dram o' rum. This would be around this time of year and Davey Denton, my bud, and I were feeling no pain. Dave says theat he has to stop with the rum since he had to go out to Sooke, to the Boy Scout camp, the next day as there was a camp being held. There were scouts from all over the island and the maimland who were learning the fine art of winter survival, snowshoing and all of the winter and snowtime activities that the scouts had to learn.
Now Dave was a scout master at this time and he was having a real problem getting the scouts interested in rescue application..... most especially as it applied to water rescue. For some reason, these boys either would not, or could not, wrap their heads around the idea of a water safety course, or water rescue. He told the boys to stay off the frozen lake, but all of his warnings and cajoling was to no avail. They still insisted on going out, either skating, hiking or just being. He wondered just what we could do to impress upon these kids the dangers of the ice on the lake. It was , after all, not that thick.
I blurted out something to the effect that if one were to go through the ice, then they would learn. However, that did not seem to be a very good idea until I suggested that perhaps, I could fall through for them. It would scare them, and perhaps, they could learn a bit of rescue work as well. "Would you do that?" Of course I would. If it even saved one life, and perhaps helped instill in only one of their minds the basic survival skills, it would be worth it. And so we set the plan in action.
I would go out onto the lake, pretending to be an ice fisherman, and I would fall through the ice. They would see this happening and learn just how thin the ice could be, and then, 'rescue' me. Sounds good right?? Well, It actually sounded good and so, the next morning, I went out, found a likely spot and weakened the ice with a hammer. At the appropriate time, with the group on thew shore, I started to 'chop' my hole into the ice to set up my rod. Right on cue, the ice broke and down I went.
Oh, by the way, did I happen to mention that I had my wet suit on under my clothes?? I may be a bit crazy, but not that bad. Still very cold but only for a few seconds!
So I thrashed around, made all of the appropriate noise, cried for help a few times, and the scouts got a first hand lesson in ice rescue.They brought out the ladder, fed it across the ice to me, whereupon I gratefully clambered to safety, all the while expressing my thanks and profuse regrets for 'losing' my rod down the hole.
Dave said that it was the best demonstartion ever, and from then on, weather and ice permitting, we pulled this stunt. To the best of my knowledge, those same scouts are convinced, to this day, that they pulled off a real rescue!!
Sunny skies
M
Now Dave was a scout master at this time and he was having a real problem getting the scouts interested in rescue application..... most especially as it applied to water rescue. For some reason, these boys either would not, or could not, wrap their heads around the idea of a water safety course, or water rescue. He told the boys to stay off the frozen lake, but all of his warnings and cajoling was to no avail. They still insisted on going out, either skating, hiking or just being. He wondered just what we could do to impress upon these kids the dangers of the ice on the lake. It was , after all, not that thick.
I blurted out something to the effect that if one were to go through the ice, then they would learn. However, that did not seem to be a very good idea until I suggested that perhaps, I could fall through for them. It would scare them, and perhaps, they could learn a bit of rescue work as well. "Would you do that?" Of course I would. If it even saved one life, and perhaps helped instill in only one of their minds the basic survival skills, it would be worth it. And so we set the plan in action.
I would go out onto the lake, pretending to be an ice fisherman, and I would fall through the ice. They would see this happening and learn just how thin the ice could be, and then, 'rescue' me. Sounds good right?? Well, It actually sounded good and so, the next morning, I went out, found a likely spot and weakened the ice with a hammer. At the appropriate time, with the group on thew shore, I started to 'chop' my hole into the ice to set up my rod. Right on cue, the ice broke and down I went.
Oh, by the way, did I happen to mention that I had my wet suit on under my clothes?? I may be a bit crazy, but not that bad. Still very cold but only for a few seconds!
So I thrashed around, made all of the appropriate noise, cried for help a few times, and the scouts got a first hand lesson in ice rescue.They brought out the ladder, fed it across the ice to me, whereupon I gratefully clambered to safety, all the while expressing my thanks and profuse regrets for 'losing' my rod down the hole.Dave said that it was the best demonstartion ever, and from then on, weather and ice permitting, we pulled this stunt. To the best of my knowledge, those same scouts are convinced, to this day, that they pulled off a real rescue!!
Sunny skies
M
you know how to outsmart kids! 