The Dangers of Ice Fishing

Poor Bushman. 

He has been so family-friendly with his ice fishing this winter.  The fishing shack is set up at a mediocre fishing hole just so we can be close to home.  Other than a couple trips during cousin visits, Kendall has done all family fishing trips.

Finally on Saturday Kendall had organized a group of guys to go out in the bush for some real fishing.  Kendall took his boys and another friend took his kids.  Several other guys were along.  They drove 45 minutes out into the bush.  Then they took snowmobiles a kilometer or two to the lake.  Ahhh...  Kendall had been looking forward to this time.  He had moose steaks marinating to cook over the fire.  He had packed everything they would need for an afternoon and evening on the lake.

Five minutes after getting to the lake, he grabbed the ice auger and hurt himself.  Bad. 

Someone started the auger and Kendall grabbed the shaft to go drill his very first hole.  The shaft was rotating and somehow Kendall's mitt got caught on a bolt.  It yanked his arm around and threw him on the ground over the auger.  Kendall suddenly came to and heard guys running around yelling and trying to get the auger turned off while it still pulled at his arm. 

When they got it turned off, Kendall knew he was hurt and laid there trying to figure out what had just happened.  He took off his mitt and freaked himself out.  He said his hand looked like it belonged to a dead person.  After sitting for awhile, he knew he needed to get to the ER.  So his buddy drove him back to the truck and then on in to the hospital.  Evan decided to go along with Kendall.  Eli stayed back with his friends.

That's when I got a call.  Kendall said, "I'm coming back in to town.  I messed up my arm."  He asked me to meet him at the hospital.  I could tell he was shook up.  I knew that depending on his injuries, he could very easily end up being flown out to a bigger hospital.  Anything needing surgery or a bone set gets flown out. 

Lydia and I met Kendall and Evan in the ER.  There they sat in their snow pants, Kendall's hand on ice.  I knew he was in pain and so very disappointed.  I felt so bad for him.  While he was off getting an x-ray, I got a text from his buddy asking if Kendall was gonna live.  I texted back that if he died of anything, it would be disappointment.

Thankfully, there was no definite break.  Nothing showed up on the x-ray.  However, there are so many bones in the wrist, that they couldn't be sure.  There was one particular bone that they were concerned about.  If left untreated, it causes a lot more problems later.  So the decision was made to go ahead and cast it, just in case.  After 10 days, they'll cut off the cast and do another x-ray.  And hopefully that will be that.

Ice fishing season closed yesterday, so I guess there will be no abundance of walleye for us this winter.

Kendall was a local hero at work and church this weekend.  He was rather bashful since he felt dumb. :)  He asked me to write "Don't Ask" in bold letters across his cast.  But I don't think it would work anyway.  Everyone wants to hear about how he valiantly reeled in that whale before it bared it's sharp teeth and snapped his wrist.