Almost drowned fall 2018
#6720311
01/07/20 10:49 PM
01/07/20 10:49 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 42,030 Northern Maine
Bruce T
OP
trapper
|
OP
trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 42,030
Northern Maine
|
I have since sold all small boats and now use a 16 foot StarCraft. BANGOR DAILY NEWS HOME NEWS POLITICS BUSINESS ARTS SPORTS OPINION OUTDOORS ACT OUT HOMESTEAD | OBITUARIES CLASSIFIEDS JOBS PUBLIC NOTICES
Penobscot Stranded Maine duck hunter relied on years of hunting experience to survive 12 hours in waist-deep water Bruce Thibodeau poses Sept. 27 with the duck boat he retrieved from the Sawtelle Deadwater, after he capsized there two days earlier. The hunter stood in waist-deep water for 12 hours until a game warden found him. Courtesy of Bruce Thibodeau Bruce Thibodeau poses Sept. 27 with the duck boat he retrieved from the Sawtelle Deadwater, after he capsized there two days earlier. The hunter stood in waist-deep water for 12 hours until a game warden found him. By Callie Ferguson, BDN Staff September 29, 2018 1:00 am Updated: September 29, 2018 9:46 am Related Stories Maine duck hunter stranded in waist-deep water waited 12 hours for rescue Duck hunter Bruce Thibodeau had been standing on the hull of his capsized boat with cold water up to his waist for nearly 12 hours when he heard sirens cry out in the darkness.
That’s when he knew his gamble had paid off.
After his boat had flipped earlier that afternoon, stranding him alone in the swampy Sawtelle Deadwater in northern Penobscot County, the 57-year-old outdoorsman decided to stay put instead of swim to shore, believing he’d freeze to death if he attempted to paddle through the thick vegetation and muck.
“I’m thinking, Jeez, what should I do?” Thibodeau of Silver Ridge said in an interview two days after he was rescued in the early morning hours of Sept. 26.
“I just relied on all my hunting experience — relied on that and all my knowledge,” he said. “I always read where people, if they swim, they only make it 30 or 40 yards, and they die of hypothermia.”
“Well, my best bet’s to stay just where I’m at,” he thought.
Earlier that morning, he had left a note for his wife on the kitchen counter, explaining that he decided to forego field hunting for ducks and would instead head for the Sawtelle Deadwater, a marshy lake between Herseytown and the unorganized territory of T7-R7.
Thibodeau is a certified Maine guide, Baxter State Park ranger, and has hunted, fished and trapped all his life, he said.
Courtesy of Bruce Thibodeau Hunter Bruce Thibodeau fishes his submerged duckboat out of the Sawtelle Deadwater on Sept. 27. Two days before, it flipped over while he was duck hunting, stranding him in the swamp water for 12 hours. After parking his truck along the shore of the deadwater, he motored about a mile into the swamp aboard his brand-new Beavertail Final Attack duck boat — a small hunting vessel, only about 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. He killed the engine and retrieved his shotgun.
At around 2 p.m., he hadn’t shot any birds, and he turned to leave. Leaning over to turn on the engine, his weight rocked the vessel and it suddenly flipped — briefly trapping him underneath.
He kicked himself free, and quickly realized there was no righting the overturned boat, which remained bobbing near the surface, kept slightly afloat by the foam affixed to the inside of the hull.
He didn’t think he could make it to shore without succumbing to the freezing cold water. The distance was too far and the water was swampy — full of deep muck and dense with vegetation, he said.
“I honestly didn’t think I’d make it,” he said. “But I was just trying to keep my head level and [think about] what my options were.”
His best bet was to stay warm and wait, he decided. He also thought, “Don’t panic.” He pushed the boat to shallow water, stuck a paddle in the mud to stabilize himself, and climbed on the submerged hull.
The water came up to his waist. He managed to keep himself warm with a neoprene life jacket and a warm hat, knowing that heat leaves the body quickly through the upper body and head. He never hunts wearing waders, so there wasn’t much he could do to keep his legs warm except to shift his weight, he said.
He stood there waiting for the next 11 hours, moving only to keep his back against the wind and the rainy drizzle, and to lean against the paddle.
“Of course, I’d lost my shotgun when I went overboard,” he said. That meant he couldn’t fire a signal to alert other hunters or cars traveling on nearby Scraggle Lake Road. “I was thinking, come morning, if no one had showed up, I’d have to try to do something.”
It had been dark for hours when he finally heard the sirens. With his shotgun somewhere underwater, the hunter reached for the only thing he had to signal his whereabouts: his goose call.
He honked three times, and the siren answered. This repeated a few more times until Thibodeau saw a game warden appear on the distant shoreline.
“I said, ‘Hey, my boat sunk.’”
It took another hour for wardens to come for him in their boat. At that time, Thibodeau learned that his wife, Joan, hadn’t seen his countertop note, but when he didn’t come home on Tuesday night, she called the authorities and gave them every guess as to where he might be.
On Thursday, after a good night’s sleep but with extremely sore legs, Thibodeau went back to retrieve his gear and capsized boat. He made sure to bring his bigger boat.
“I’m done with small boats,” he said.
Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.
Subscribe to breaking new alerts
Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.
Comments
Bangor Daily News Contact UsSubscribeCustomer ServiceClassifiedsJobs RSSSitemap © Copyright 2020 One Merchants Plaza, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME, 04402-1329 — 207-990-8000 Terms of Service — Privacy Policy By continuing to use this site, you give your consent to our use of cookies for analytics, personalization and ads. Learn more. I consent
Nevada bound
|
|
|
Re: Almost drowned fall 2018
[Re: Bruce T]
#6720330
01/07/20 11:01 PM
01/07/20 11:01 PM
|
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,907 Central MN, sort of old
MnMan
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,907
Central MN, sort of old
|
You are lucky to have survived that without succumbing to hypothermia. I knew a local fella who had the same thing happen to him on a shallow lake where walking to shore was an option. He tried to walk to shore and he did not make it ...hypothermia got him. He was not wearing waders and had a similar boat.
I'm just happy to be here! Today I'm as young as I'll ever be and and older than I've ever been before!
|
|
|
Re: Almost drowned fall 2018
[Re: Bruce T]
#6720345
01/07/20 11:10 PM
01/07/20 11:10 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,926 Central, SD
Law Dog
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,926
Central, SD
|
Glad your back we have been wondering where you went.
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
|
|
|
Re: Almost drowned fall 2018
[Re: Bruce T]
#6720458
01/08/20 12:33 AM
01/08/20 12:33 AM
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,653 New Hampshire
Nessmuck
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,653
New Hampshire
|
Glad your ok....holy crap.....Did you kick the old lady out yet ?
It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
|
|
|
Re: Almost drowned fall 2018
[Re: Bruce T]
#6720518
01/08/20 01:25 AM
01/08/20 01:25 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,247 Oregon
beaverpeeler
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,247
Oregon
|
Took her until 11:30 to read the fine print of your life insurance policy (probably not enough to make it worthwhile)! Glad you you're OK man!
My fear of moving stairs is escalating!
|
|
|
Re: Almost drowned fall 2018
[Re: Bruce T]
#6720522
01/08/20 01:28 AM
01/08/20 01:28 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,524 james bay frontierOnt.
Boco
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,524
james bay frontierOnt.
|
You gotta be careful out there.No cell service out there?or did your phone get dunked. Good to see you back Bruce.
Last edited by Boco; 01/08/20 01:29 AM.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
|
|
|
Re: Almost drowned fall 2018
[Re: Bruce T]
#6720531
01/08/20 01:35 AM
01/08/20 01:35 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,379 Coeur d' Alene, Idaho
James
"Minka"
|
"Minka"
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,379
Coeur d' Alene, Idaho
|
Good thinking. I'm glad you survived.
Jim
Forum Infidel since 2001
"And that troll bs is something triggered snowflakes say when they dont like what someone posts." - Boco
|
|
|
Re: Almost drowned fall 2018
[Re: Bruce T]
#6720783
01/08/20 10:24 AM
01/08/20 10:24 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,453 Missouri
ol' dad
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,453
Missouri
|
Thanks for sharing your story. I'm glad you're alive and hear to tell it. I think one of the most important lessons learned here, is to not panic in a water involved accident. Easier said than done, but its normally what kills most people.
ol'dad
"I season my food with hunger"
|
|
|
Re: Almost drowned fall 2018
[Re: Bruce T]
#6720813
01/08/20 10:51 AM
01/08/20 10:51 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,086 SEPA
Lugnut
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,086
SEPA
|
Glad you survived your ordeal.
Eh...wot?
|
|
|
|
|