267 got pulled into the boat this morning.

[Gary D.]

We have had several calls over the past few weeks but they haven’t amounted to much. Some very lucky people have lived to be stupid another day until today. Two guys launch a CANOE in the river which is running around 16,000 cfs. We try not to train in it when it is over 14,000 cfs. Right off the bat they flip it. One makes it one doesn’t. They did have a DORA PFD but it wasn’t put to use.

Med Star flew over from Spokane and spotted the body about a mile down stream. We responded and recovered him in about 4’ of water. Had it not been for the high altitude of the chopper we would have missed him for sure.

Gear is dry, rig is repacked and ready for the next one.

Post Falls drowning victim identified
Posted: Thursday, June 24, 2010 3:35 pm
In reference to the drowning that occurred this morning at Corbin Park, family members of the deceased victim have been notified.
Spirit Lake resident Michael W. Blankartz, 28, died in the accident. Danny J. Richison, 29, Post Falls, survived.
The victim's body was recovered by the KCSD Dive Team and pronounced deceased at the scene. Richison was not injured.
The Press will have the complete story in tomorrow's print editions.

 

[Gary D.]

Updated articles and video's.

Canoeist drowns in Spokane River in Post Falls | KREM 2 News | KREM.com | When it Matters Most | News

Body of canoeist recovered in Spokane River - News Story - KXLY Spokane

UPDATE: Body of Missing Canoeist Found Floating in Spokane River - KHQ Right Now - News and Weather for Spokane and North Idaho |

 

[pantheraba]

That's sad when it could be so easily preventable.

What is "267"?

 

[robbf213]

Is 267 career total?

 

[Cave Diver]

Wow Gary. You do a job not many would want. I hope the families of those you save and the ones you can only recover show you guys the appreciation that you deserve.

 

[Gary D.]

Those are the ones I've been hands on with. There would be a lot more if I counted every one I was involved with but didn't get hands on. The past couple of years I have slowed down and let the newer guys get the numbers when we can. A lot of them were service related but they have all come in roughly 40 of my 50 years of diving.

Crap that makes me feel freaking ancient. But every day I get to vertical and don’t have dirt on my face is a good start to a wonderful day.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Gary, you have a thankless job. I have a friend who is a recovery diver....... I don't know how you keep doing it every time. Thank you for being you. You and all like you should be much more recognized. Thanks for continuing to answer the calls.

 

[Gary D.]

“Gary, you have a thankless job.”

No we don’t. There are family members out there that are very thankful, and that is reward enough. Closure is not a good word to use because that would mean you’re over it which may never happen.

“I have a friend who is a recovery diver.......”

Thank him for me (us) and I hope he keeps up GOOD training and stays safe diving within his abilities.

“I don't know how you keep doing it every time. Thank you for being you.”

I have a gift where I can forget most, not all, of the operations. If at all possible I don’t want to know their names or who they are/were as a person. When I was younger, MUCH younger, I was told that a body is a mass of flesh lacking personality and soul. Their personality and soul was the person which has left the body. I keep that in the back of my mind and it helps A LOT. If that personality and soul were still there it would be a rescue and not a recovery. Don’t ever hang you ass out on a line to make a recovery. The result could be another personality and soul leaving the flesh and placing another diver into the same position you were in to begin with.

“You and all like you should be much more recognized.”

No we shouldn’t. For fundraisers maybe but if their were a lot of glory in this job there would be a lot of glory seekers out there losing their lives just to call themselves hero’s. The worst part of any operation is when I have to do an interview. I hate them and I just like to fade into the shadows when we are done. Let the family deal with their grief on their own without added strangers, which we are. There is help out there for the family and we aren’t it. We know we did a good job and helped a family so let’s just leave it at that.

“Thanks for continuing to answer the calls.”

You are very welcome and the team is one of the things keeping me from retiring from the department. My guys are the best. On one tough operation we had a few years back, every one of them stood right there on the big boat and said they didn’t want to do the dive. It was at that point I knew the training had sunk in and I was like a very proud new father. To get a bunch of cops and a fireman to say no in front of everyone was no easy feat.

Thanks for the thanks but lets keep the operations on this forum and not look for any glory outside of it.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Gary, thank you and the rest here for what you all do.

And when you feel old, remember this:
"Getting old sucks, but it beats the heck out of the alternative."