I’ve done a trout tournament at lake Tanycomo in February for over 20 years. My brother was a master fly fisherman and has come a couple of times. We did a guided trip on the White on Thursday, and he slayed with four 20”+ Brown trout. We had a fantastic time. On Sunday almost at the end (noon weigh-in), he said he had chest pain. My other buddy and I looked at each other and I said aloud that was nothing to fuck with and we’re headed in. We were already close to the dock, and we’re there in five minutes. As I unloaded the boat he said he thought he just needed to use the bathroom. I heard a shout he had collapsed, and he didn’t make it off the dock. He was still gasping for breath like a fish out of water, and the owner had already called 911. I opened the airway and ABCs, and he had a really weak pulse and was still breathing raggedly. The 911 had us timing the breaths and they were getting farther apart and he ordered me to start CPR. The EMTs got there pretty quick (less than 15 minutes). They hooked him up to the wiring harness, started IVs, shocked him, and kept up CPR, but he never showed any sign of restarting at all. Through cycle after cycle they had nothing. When they called it I heard it clearly, and still said, “What?” The EMTs did everything right, CPR was started immediately, it was time. He must have had a massive, no-return coronary.
Then I had to call my sister-in-law, my mom, my wife, and my other brother. The howls and wails on the phone comming from his wife and my mother will haunt me to my grave.
When the funeral people came and collected him I just stood there. I wanted to go with or follow or something... Then I had to drive three hours home without my brother. I still can’t believe he’s gone, and I was there.
He literally died with his waders on, and a very happy man, but about thirty years too soon. He went off like a light switch. When I got there and cradled his head he was already checked out, he never improved, and went down from there.
He didn’t have an enemy in the world, and I never heard him utter a foul thing about anyone. The service is this Friday, and I expect it will be a thousand people. He was just about to retire from Verision, and we were told yesterday that they brought in grief counselors for both the New York and New Jersey offices. He was THAT loved.
I took this on The White on Thursday.
He was my Brother for 47 years. I don’t know any different. My only solace is he died instantly, happy, and doing what he loved. Fuck this sucks!
Thank you for your prayers. I’m a pretty stoic and pretty tough dude, and I am fucking dying with grief. I wake up crying. I just still can’t believe it.
