Solo diver pulled from Lake St. Lawrence - Canada

[emoreira]

I was the good samaritan that pulled john from the water it took me till mid September before I could go back in the water I'm back in the water now and feel great about it I am more cautious and I am looking into getting my rescue diver certification in the near future
I am not sure of your policy regarding old threads but feel free to reprimand me Ialso if anyone has any questions I am more then willing to answer them

To take the Rescue course is your best decision. I did mine after an incident in the open sea with an Instant Buddy. Fortunately the incident had a good result and the Instant Buddy didn't enter in the panic loop.
However I have to thank in a certain way that incident as after doing the Rescue Diver course, the dive school where I did all my courses and certs offered me to join the staff and soon I will be starting the Instructor course. Besides this, the Rescue Course was a way to improve my fitness and health and now, after some years I feel younger and stronger than when I started to dive.

 

[Jax]

So tragic for those involved; can we not all wish to go doing something we love? If that is the Will of God . . .

 

[Littlerayray]

It was really tough on me but it did feel good to get back on the water I did an interview with seaway news about a month and a half after the incident .

I agree with you Don I hate that term as well but he didn't know my name .
And I only did what I expect from everyone on the water and I would not hesitate to do it again
The funny part about it all I was feeling a little jealous the following weeks because the diver was a well known political candidate and his widow was being harassed by the media not a single reporter aproached me and I was upset that no one recognized me for the valiant effort I made I am a true unsung hero so to speak and the jealousy has passed
So my thought is am I being selfish in the fact that all I want is for city officials to say thank you for my efforts

 

[Akimbo]

You can be called a lot worse than "Good Samaritan". Good on ya mate.

 

[DandyDon]

It was really tough on me but it did feel good to get back on the water I did an interview with seaway news about a month and a half after the incident .

I agree with you Don I hate that term as well but he didn't know my name .
And I only did what I expect from everyone on the water and I would not hesitate to do it again
The funny part about it all I was feeling a little jealous the following weeks because the diver was a well known political candidate and his widow was being harassed by the media not a single reporter aproached me and I was upset that no one recognized me for the valiant effort I made I am a true unsung hero so to speak and the jealousy has passed
So my thought is am I being selfish in the fact that all I want is for city officials to say thank you for my efforts

That GS term just seems like a dumb take off on the Biblical story, but it's popular with journalists - and today's actual Samaritans are such a small number and remote that they're not going to object.

And I guess officials typically only recognize heroes when the outcome is successful, while his heart attack seems to have been unrecoverable from the stories given. At least his wife was generous with her rightful praise...

Blais said she holds a special place in her heart for Raymond Burelle, a boater who was returning to shore and immediately took off for Earle when he realized the Cornwall filmmaker was in trouble.

Have you two spoke since the incident? It might be good, or it might be awkward - I dunno?

At least you got the Seaway News story recognizing your actions: Good samaritan still haunted by images from river tragedy - News - Cornwall Seaway News

And were recognized in another article: Fatal heart attack felled Earle | Cornwall Standard Freeholder

I suppose you were accurately quoted in the Seaway News, altho that may be a lot to hope for...

"There are times when I say 'Oh my god, what did I do?'" he said. "There's still some doubt in your mind. That doubt will always be with you."

There was no hope to make a difference with his medical attack, but that unfair doubt is a pitfall common to suck life & death incidents. I hope you are soon able to feel good about all of this, even tho the outcome was inevitable.

 

[Littlerayray]

Alissa and I have spoken their is little detail about what I did and I want to keep it that way the seaway news did their article on me very tastefully and quoted me perfectly no it is not awkward when we speak and we have spoken often but our schedules make it hard to do more then just talk I apreciate the praise I wish the outcome was different and I pray everyday that the next time an incident like this happens it happens to someone who is prepared and or able to handle it

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I am honestly not sure anyone is prepared to handle it. Some more than others perhaps. Working Police, Doctors, Nurses and Paramedics will have calls that stay with them. When they are off duty I would suggest it is more likely to be harder to deal with because you are on Your Time.. in Your Life somehow that brings it closer to home. That has been my personal experience.

Second guessing yourself is also common after an event and pretty normal. If you are still doing it a long time afterwards it may be a symptom of PTSD and be worthwhile talking to a professional about it. 3 months is still early stages for something like this. We can support and encourage you here but nothing takes the place of professional support in the physical world.

It is a weird thing. A person has died and everyone knows their family and loved ones are victims of the event. The people who were there and helped are also victims of the trauma. That is often not recognized. That can lead to those mixed up feelings I suspect from reading between the lines about your frustration that the City Officials haven't recognized your efforts.

This touches on something that I have tried to promote to anyone with power who will listen. When a rescue results in a positive outcome, the person is hailed as a hero and given "Life saver medals" and awards. I can't think of a greater reward than knowing you actually saved a life so IMHO these awards are a nice acknowledgement but . I believe the ones who NEED to be recognized are the ones who tried and did their best but didn't get the outcome they were looking for.

Over the last 15 years of teaching first aid I have told every one of my students "I have never seen anyone do first aid or CPR thinking "Man I hope this person doesn't make it!" You render aid with the utmost hope for a positive outcome but you don't always get what you hope for. You can do a perfect job but the condition of the person is so bad nothing can be done to save them. All you can do is your best at the time and walk away knowing that you did something truly significant. If it is their time to go and you were there for them maybe you made the passing less painful, maybe you took some of the fear away you certainly made a difference to their loved ones. You should hold you head up and know that good or bad outcome you gave them a chance and that is all anyone can do. If you find you are having trouble dealing with it Get HELP, It is ok to need help. You wouldn't allow yourself to have a festering physical wound, you shouldn't allow yourself to have a festering emotional wound either."

Sorry for the but as I said this is something I have been going on about to my students for many many years now. :consolation:

We need to give the awards to the ones who try but don't get the result .. they are the ones who need the support and recognition the most.

 

[boulderjohn]

This touches on something that I have tried to promote to anyone with power who will listen. When a rescue results in a positive outcome, the person is hailed as a hero and given "Life saver medals" and awards. I can't think of a greater reward than knowing you actually saved a life so IMHO these awards are a nice acknowledgement but . I believe the ones who NEED to be recognized are the ones who tried and did their best but didn't get the outcome they were looking for.

Over the last 15 years of teaching first aid I have told every one of my students "I have never seen anyone do first aid or CPR thinking "Man I hope this person doesn't make it!" You render aid with the utmost hope for a positive outcome but you don't always get what you hope for. You can do a perfect job but the condition of the person is so bad nothing can be done to save them.

This is an important part of the PADI first aid (EFR) course. In serious first aid cases, including especially cardiac events, many times there was never any really hope of success, and the people who do their very best to achieve an impossible good result have to be able to accept that fact, as hard as it is to do so.

 

[Littlerayray]

My dive master/instructor and close friend is in his late 70s and has helped me through this ordeal he has also shared with me his many rescues both successful and unsuccessful he has been with me on every dive since the ordeal and is very happy with the confidence I have again he has worked with me and has asked me to help him with the dive classes and has also asked me to speak to the classes about the importance of diving with a buddy. Before the incident we would dive in groups of 4 to six people and would wander away never out of sight but since then I have refused to dive with (cowboy) divers and stay close to my group in actuality if john would have been diving with a buddy I feel the buddy may have been able to get him to shore as he was maybe 100 yrs from shore and gotten help sooner so I stress to everyone to always dive with a buddy and if you lose your buddy look around and if you can't find him then surface cuz when crap hits the fan it hits hard and you rarely get a second chance most deaths due to drowning are caused by panic

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

if john would have been diving with a buddy I feel the buddy may have been able to get him to shore as he was maybe 100 yrs from shore and gotten help sooner so I stress to everyone to always dive with a buddy

Although I can empathize with your pain - we will never be sure the buddy would have made any difference in this instance. Don't second guess and keep going...

Many of us chose to dive solo for various reasons - and it ok for us but unfortunate for those that may be called in for body recovery. It is never an easy thing to see or be involved in. I am glad you made the effort.