Awareness

Particularly with the open winter we have had, people may not realize how unstable the ice is on water sources and they want to just try it out. On a Wyoming lake, several ATVs were recently lost due to these challenges. Residents who are new to the area’s recreational opportunities may not realize the dangers.

For many the idea of personal safety seems part of the city experience. Watch out for muggers, car jackers and other drivers. We’ve all received emails with safety warnings. One tells us not to park next to a van as there could be people inside the van, lying in wait to kidnap you.

But danger lurks in the country as well as the city. Safety is closely related to common sense, though we all, from time to time, do not use that sense. Frequently the result is disaster and heartbreak.

My husband has told all of our family members countless times, “Be aware of your surroundings.” It has been instilled in our minds.

Several years ago, two brothers and the 3-year-old son of one brother were ice fishing on a small pond not far from our farm. It was May and though the ice appeared adequately frozen, the day was fairly warm and the sunshine beat hard on the ice. The men tested the strength of the ice and deemed it fine when they began their day early. They wore overshoes and were so engrossed in having a fun day with family, they didn’t notice the ice was melting.

All of a sudden, the ice gave way. The uncle and the little boy went into the icy cold water. The father ran to find a phone and call for help. (This was before cell phones were common.) The local volunteer fire department whose members were also first responders went to assist. After seeing the problem, they gathered long ladders from a neighboring farm. The ladders were laid on the ice and the weight was more evenly distributed as the men crawled out to rescue the victims.

When the little boy was extricated, CPR was begun. EMTs took over upon their arrival and CPR continued in the ambulance and at the hospital. The local hospital called Children’s Hospital in Denver for advice and they said to keep it up; the week before, Children’s had a similar incident and the boy had been discharged from the hospital, walking under his own power, just two days earlier. That encouraged the caregivers.

It was not to be for this little one. A medical airplane was dispatched and after he was loaded but before take off, after the long and gallant efforts, the little boy perished. The father lived, his brother and his son died. What a sad day for several emergency personnel and the lives of the victims’ families.

Accidents happen yet some may be averted when we pay extra attention to our surroundings. Please be careful as you go about your daily lives. We’d rather write to you than about you.

Sanders writes from the family farm. Her internet latchstring is out at peggy@peggysanders.com.