Angler Dies After Falling Into Bow River In Southeast Calgary

[SilverDoctor]

Source CBC

 

A man who fell into the water while fishing in the Bow River on Monday has died, according to police.

Emergency crews responded to calls of up to two people in the water near Graves Bridge in the southeast.

 

"Initial reports were that a man fishing had witnessed another man, also fishing nearby, fall into the water and unable to get himself up and out," reads a release from the fire department.

"The man was then swept away by the current. The angler who witnessed this immediately ​went into the river after the submerged man, swam to him, pulled him onto the shore and started CPR."

Fire crews took over CPR, they said, and the patient was transferred to hospital.

It's not yet known how the man ended up submerged in the water.

The angler who dove into the river in a rescue attempt was unharmed but "very cold," according to the fire department.

 

"The rescuer put himself at risk to save his fellow angler's life," read the release. "This incident and others like it are submitted to the Calgary Fire Department's 'Beyond the Call Program' for recognition at an annual luncheon."

[fishinhogdaddy]

Be careful out there everyone. Condolences to his family.

FHD

[Vitalshok]

Just seen that on the news rest and fish in peice.Great job to the guy who tried to save him I hope your heart heals you are a hero.

[Dangus]

Yikes. Thought it was weird when I saw fire dpt launching at quarry.

[murray]

My sincere condolences to the family of this fisherman. My utmost respect and gratitude to the fellow that pulled him to shore in an attempt to save his life.

[fishinglibin]

I grew up around a pool, and was a lifeguard. I still have the utmost respect for water. Things can change in a second. I have pulled 4 people out of the Bow in 3 incidents over the years, 2 of them near the weir by Carseland. Only 50 yrs old. Bless him. I guess he died doing what he loved. I told the wife a few times, when I go, it will be from a monster trout head butting me to get off my fly. I salute our past fellow fisher, and the man who tried to save him.

[alan2]

When I heard it on CFCN it mentioned waders filled with water preventing him from getting out. If so, it would seem he wasn't wearing a belt on them. Not everybody does I've noticed, and there have been discussions on here as to whether or not a belt helps. This should be proof of the obvious. What a shame.

[professori]

When I heard it on CFCN it mentioned waders filled with water preventing him from getting out. If so, it would seem he wasn't wearing a belt on them. Not everybody does I've noticed, and there have been discussions on here as to whether or not a belt helps. This should be proof of the obvious. What a shame.

If you are in the water for more than a few minutes, your waders will fill with water with or without a belt. A belt slows, it won't prevent water entry.

[fishinglibin]

Would also be very fast hypothermia. Correct me if wrong, but isn't it quite shallow there? I am aware in some cases you do not need much depth to drown.

[SilverDoctor]

Condolences to family and friends. This time of year the cold would be the real killer sending you into shock quickly making swimming difficult. If winter wading you should invest in an inflatable pfd (I use a Mustang make) and use a solid wading staff. I have lost footing on big rivers and been swept away several times, but in summer luckly. A wading belt is the key, as you can float on your back with the trapped air for quite a while.

 

Please keep safe out there

[jpinkster]

Also some suggestions that he may have had a cardiac emergency. Not sure if that happened before he hit the water or after. Either way, very sad.

[Dangus]

That was my first thought too, jp. There are few places you can fall into the bow and not touch bottom fairly soon/reasonably save yourself in this low, slow water. That being said, the whole east side bank with the rip rap drops off quickly in spots.

Chicken or the egg...you fall in and the cold shock Induces the heart attack.

Those rocks are pretty greasy out there right now, especially with a little frost on the muck.

[muha]

Condolences to family and friends.

[danhunt]

My condolences to his friends and family. Kudos to the angler that put himself at risk to try and save a stranger! In addition to the PFD and wading staff, a set of ice picks that ice fishermen use are a good thing to carry as well. Once, I had been fishing on an ice shelf that was about a foot thick when it let go and dumped me in to the water. I had been there for some time and had since it hadn't let go earlier I though was safe and got complacent, but I'm guessing as the day warmed... Another time I was walking along the bank thinking about my next cast and I stepped on a spot that I thought was solid and I fell in to a hole between the bank an a root ball that was deep enough it almost came in over the top of my waders. In both cases I managed to get myself out, but an extra bit of a handhold would have helped immensely.

[BigFoamy]

rip

 

 

 

[BigFoamy]

As peaceful as angling is, it sure is dangerous on the other hand. Its always shocking to hear this kind of news, but when you sit and thick about it. drowning, animal attacks, injury, exposure. So much can go so wrong in such a little amount of time, one wrong step

 

Nice work to by buddy who went in after him yeah we all know that could've went wrong for you as well, but at the time, you dont think about it, you just go man!! You're a good person.

 

I may have told this story before but, I saw two older/overweight looking fellas (I'm 47 so older starts to blend together) wading on the south side of the river down by Jensens. As we went by in buddies boat, one of them fell in, he was up to his arm pits and was struggling, so was his buddy, to get him out. Buddy was turning the boat and i was getting ready to jump in when they managed to scramble up onto the shore. That got real tense, real quick, one wrong step. These guys where old enough and big enough that if they both ended up in the water, it would've been really bad.

[Roast]

This is such a tragedy, but hats off to the person who went in after him, you're a hero. I have only fell in shallow water and luckily have never been swept downstream.

 

I fish alone most of the time and want to get a inflatable pfd. Can anyone post their experience with them. Belt versus shoulder? I switch between a backpack and hip pack depending on the length of the fishing day and want something that works for both. Auto or manual inflation?

 

With stories like this, money on a pfd appears to be money well spent.

[fishinglibin]

Have an auto/manual inflate shoulder chest pfd. I am a strong swimmer and always use it. Mine is Bass Pro model. Mustang is good.

[Conor]

Go with auto. I would say the biggest risk is cracking your head on the fall, and a manual pull wouldn't help if you are unconscious.