Sad weekend.

[NEFarmwife]

Some people from the community went on the river this weekend. Current was so strong that it swept a kayaker over the spillway. Those in his party, including his wife... were struggling hard to keep from the current that ended up taking this mans life. Father of a 2 year old boy. Fireman.

Our communities have been thru so much lately. They've been unable to locate his body and are sure it's "tumbling" at the bottom of spillway. They've cut off the spillway in hopes to lower the river but expect with bloat... he should surface here within next 24 hours. They've called on our department to man the banks and wait for his body to surface. Meanwhile, these same men are responding to a hog unit fire that started almost 5 hours ago. One unit was destroyed. I've had no further updates.

Just thinking about this young woman who has lost her husband and how our men and women put their lives at risk every day (emergency responders) for others.

Our community needs a break.

 

[Silver]

That's heart breaking for sure.

 

[Coosh71]

Never easy to hear. Hate all of that. Prayers for that family and your community

 

[Ky hills]

That is a sad situation.

 

[NEFarmwife]

It's been tough.

Can't speak for anyone else but my husband was up at 4am to be at spillway by 5 to beat the sunrise, for a recovery effort. Came home at noon, took a nap, and responded to fire at 3.

These men are volunteers. Responders responding to the life of one of their own. It's been an unbelievable weekend.

 

[True Grit Farms]

That's a bad deal, common sense isn't very common anymore.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Shame out for a good time on a holiday weekend. Prayers for his family.
People underestimate the power of water that's the most dangerous part of the hurricane.

 

[NEFarmwife]

That's a bad deal, common sense isn't very common anymore.

I'm going to painfully agree. I've been trying hard to bite my tongue because a lot of people are hurting right now. But I'm also an avid kayaker and I told everyone after the flooding, they need to stay off these rivers until we're able to see what's in them (August/September, heavy irrigating). People were stating that these rivers had white caps from their speed. I've never seen that on these rivers.

Saw a video of some jeepers losing their rigs on the rivers also. Where does one imagine all this white sand along our rivers (the 5 foot deep white sand on our fields) came from?

 

[True Grit Farms]

That's a bad deal, common sense isn't very common anymore.

I'm going to painfully agree. I've been trying hard to bite my tongue because a lot of people are hurting right now. But I'm also an avid kayaker and I told everyone after the flooding, they need to stay off these rivers until we're able to see what's in them (August/September, heavy irrigating). People were stating that these rivers had white caps from their speed. I've never seen that on these rivers.

Saw a video of some jeepers losing their rigs on the rivers also. Where does one imagine all this white sand along our rivers (the 5 foot deep white sand on our fields) came from?

Very sad for someone to loose their life especially someone so young with a family. It's your responsibility to look after your family and yourself. We all need to think before we do stuff, I'm guilty of not thinking regularly myself.

 

[greybeard]

Truly, a sad deal. Tragic.
Having said that tho, I doubt there is one among us that hasn't at one time or another, done something stupid and only because of the Lord's grace and/or plumb dumb luck...survived it.

About 24 years ago, I had to pull my wife (an excellent and strong swimmer) from a dangerous rip tide at Grand Isle La. She, full of confidence and not used to being on the Gulf Coast ventured out too far. Only because I am so tall and had long arms was I able to walk out of the current with her wrapped around my neck, very lucky, because I am really a poor swimmer. (yes, I know the proper way to swim out of a rip tide but I would not have been able to swim that far and she was close to collapse when I reached her.

 

[Little Cow]

I'm sorry to hear about that. It seems like a lot of people get in the water over the three day weekend. There is always a boating accident around here, too.

 

[herofan]

That's a bad deal, common sense isn't very common anymore.

I'm going to painfully agree. I've been trying hard to bite my tongue because a lot of people are hurting right now. But I'm also an avid kayaker and I told everyone after the flooding, they need to stay off these rivers until we're able to see what's in them (August/September, heavy irrigating). People were stating that these rivers had white caps from their speed. I've never seen that on these rivers.

Saw a video of some jeepers losing their rigs on the rivers also. Where does one imagine all this white sand along our rivers (the 5 foot deep white sand on our fields) came from?

That's a very sad situation. I've never been a risk taker for the sake of fun and adventure. Whenever I look at a situation, the first think I think of are the potential dangers. Anything seems good when it works out, but when it doesn't then it seems crazy. If a person bungee jumps and it's works out ok, he has great stories to tell. If it doesn't work out, that means somebody lost their life because they jumped off a bridge with a cord strapped to their ankle. It seems a little crazy at that point. Just like people who have died on Mt Everest; I'd just as soon be home. I'm not claiming anything above anyone; I guess my personality is just too dull and boring to be a risk taker.

 

[NEFarmwife]

Agree with you Greybeard but I too (much like herofan) lean often on the side of caution.

We had another 2 inches of torrential downpour last night. Not sure what that'll do to the situation but a lot of rivers are breaching their banks. They were calling on volunteers to line the banks this morning because of the expectation he'd surface but I have not heard that they've recovered his body.

Heard another young man lost his life this weekend as well. He was trying to save someone else drowning. He was 19.

 

[farmerjan]

It is so sad for the family and friends of this man. And all the ones he worked with. And yes, we have all done dumb things, but often it seems the ones that work in dangerous situations fail to follow their own "knowledge" of what can happen.
Keep hearing about the torrential rains and flooding out your way. I truly wish there was a way to shut off the water faucets for awhile, for you all, so that you could get back to some sort of normalcy.

Thoughts and prayers for all out along the rivers that are threatening their banks and levees.

 

[NEFarmwife]

Over 300 people showed up to line the banks yesterday. Nothing. had to call off recovery efforts last night because the river was rising rapidly.

Husband and I were chatting last night after they did a news story on this. He worked closely with the sheriff on this search effort and while they're hoping his body will be recovered, it is nearly certain it won't be.

Watching them interview this mans father last night, had me pretty choked up. His words were "God called him home too soon and I was blessed to have him here as long as I did, I just wish it had been a bit longer."

 

[greybeard]

I saw on the web news that every county in Oklahoma has been declared 'state of emergency' due to flooding and other weather events. Hard to envision the dry part of Ok out around Elk City would have high water.

 

[Nesikep]

I saw on the web news that every county in Oklahoma has been declared 'state of emergency' due to flooding and other weather events. Hard to envision the dry part of Ok out around Elk City would have high water.

Woodie Guthrie wouldn't be singin' "I got the duuuussssstt pnuemonie.. pneumonie in my lung" right now

 

[cow pollinater]

I saw on the web news that every county in Oklahoma has been declared 'state of emergency' due to flooding and other weather events. Hard to envision the dry part of Ok out around Elk City would have high water.

I took a trip up to Kansas this weekend. There's flooding everywhere in between me and where I was. Coming back got a little dicey and as of now some of the roads I came back on are closed due to flooding as well and most of the area is getting hammered again today.

 

[greybeard]

I saw on the web news that every county in Oklahoma has been declared 'state of emergency' due to flooding and other weather events. Hard to envision the dry part of Ok out around Elk City would have high water.

Woodie Guthrie wouldn't be singin' "I got the duuuussssstt pnuemonie.. pneumonie in my lung" right now

Naw he wouldn't..his lungs themselves be dust now..

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Thats a sad story. I wouldn't give up hope on recovering the body. A man and his wife were washed off a low water bridge north of me back in the winter. Bodies were recovered a month or so ago. About 4 months after it happened. We have people drown and fall from some of the trails around here pretty often. Still a tragic thing to have happen.