Column: A story of survival

Over the past few years, I have written thousands of stories that were published in newspapers all over the western United States. From time to time, I will get online and look at some of my older stories, and in truth I don't really remember much about a lot of them. There are only a few that really stand out, and I can look back and remember the interviews and what I was feeling when I was typing.

The other day I was thinking back on a story that really touched me and wanted to give it a read. For some reason when the newspaper I was working at switched web page providers, it destroyed their archives and I could find it anywhere. It's a shame because it was something I was very proud of and wove an amazing tale of heroism and survival. I think writing this will help me remember one of the most fascinating things I have written. I'm sure I will mess up some of the details, but it is worth the read.

It was probably around seven or eight years ago and I was sitting at my desk at a newspaper in Wyoming when a man in his late 30's and two of his children walked in and said they had quite the story to tell.

A week prior, the three had been ice fishing at the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. It was January and it is not uncommon to find four wheelers and trucks driving all over what the locals call "The Lake". I always found it a little unnerving to be out on the ice in an ATV or vehicle, but it happens quite a bit.

The father told me he was on the four-wheeler and pulling his two children behind him in a sled. It was well into winter so the ice was thick and they didn't think there could possibly be any danger. Boy, were they wrong.

In a matter of seconds they would hit what the father called a soft spot of ice and he knew they were in trouble. In just a few more seconds, the ice had given way and the ATV, sled, and all three were in the frigid water.

I remember the dad saying at first there was panic, but he knew he had to remain calm and get his boys to the shore. He somehow was able to get all three of them out of the water, but they were in huge trouble. If they didn't get help soon, they would die. They were all losing strength and the two boys were starting to feel the affects of hypothermia. The dad knew there was know way he could get them to the truck. It was too far, and they were too cold and exhausted. He said he would have tried, but wasn't sure he could get that far.

He scanned the area and was able to see there were two ice fishermen in the area. They were quite a distance from the family, but the dad screamed and yelled and was able to get their attention.

The two men were in their early 20's and were spending a morning on the Lake. One had never been ice fishing before, and could not have been expecting what would happen on his first trip.

They heard the cries and made their way to the scene. It wasn't easy, but they made it to the family. They would get the boys to their truck and help was on its way.

Somehow they had heard the faint screams of a father that was trying his best to keep his children alive. The dad didn't' care about himself, he just wanted his boys safe. He wasn't sure what he would have done without the two fishermen, but he did everything he could to get their attention.

All three were transported to the hospital, and one of the boys was life flighted to Salt Lake City. His body temperature was so low; they were not quite sure how he was still alive.

They all survived, and about 10 days later would all reunite at a local restaurant.

I was invited to attend and when they all saw each other, it was something I will never forget.

The five of them all came together and embraced each other. There were tears flowing from all of them. It was such a moving moment. These people had never met before that faithful day, but they were now family.

I talked a few minutes later with the duo that saved the family. They didn't want any credit, they told me they did what anyone would have done.

What they didn't realize is that they put themselves in danger to save this family, and that said a lot about them. They had a lot of distance to cover, with ice being a little thinner than anyone could have expected.

Whenever I think about this story, I picture the dad in his water, pulling his two kids to safety. I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind, but he got them to the shore.

I know there is a lesson about safety on the ice in this situation, but that didn't matter to me at the time.

It was truly a story of survival and helping out those in need.

Around Christmas it is good to read positive and heart-warming things, and this surely is both.