This is a true story of a time when Mike nearly drowned in the Salmon River. He had been married for about two weeks when this incident took place. What would the lives of Birdie and her children be if Mike had been taken at this time? It was late July, 1961.
Three young men, Vic Mann, Mike’s cousin and great friend, Larry Lee, another friend from Challis, Idaho, and Mike decided to go tube-floating in the famous “River of No Return,” also known as the Salmon River.
The men entered the river at the Shoup Bridge which is about five miles up-river from the town of Salmon. The plan was to float down the river to the Island Park which is an island in the river at Salmon. This is considered to be an easy float and is done hundreds of times each year by people who live in Salmon. Not really a big deal.
They got in and sat back on their inner-tubes to enjoy the float in the warm, summer sun. Almost all went well with no problems. About 4.5 miles downstream, the river runs along the bottom of some high, sand-stone cliffs. In a short time the river takes a turn away from the cliffs and at this spot, over time many huge rocks have fallen into the water and created some pretty good rapids. All their life Mike and Lonny and others have deliberately swam out into the river above these rapids and then rode through them to enjoy the ride. This is not really too dangerous if one is careful and a good swimmer. That is the key issue here - being a good swimmer. You should never get into the river unless you are a good swimmer. This is a cardinal rule for the Salmon River.
The three approached the rapids with excitement. Both Mike and Vic had done this ride many times and knew what was coming. This was Larry’s first time. Vic went in the chute at the head of the rapids first, Larry was next with Mike taking up the rear. They were spaced about 60 yards apart. Mike saw that Vic was in the swift current and then he took his attention away from the other floaters and began to set up for his entrance into the chute. He did observe as Larry dropped off the edge and went into the swift water.
Mike was about 1/4 of the way in when he heard Vic yelling loudly over the sound of the rushing water. “Get Larry, Get Larry!” Vic was standing on the bank at the lower edge of the rapids. Mike then looked for Larry and all he saw was an empty inner-tube floating through the rapids ahead of him. He quickly scanned the water and luckily he saw Larry floundering around in the huge eddy located at the bottom of the rapids. Vic was across the river from Larry and he could never have gotten to him in time to help. Larry was obviously fighting to stay afloat and he was not having much luck at this attempt. There was no time to think. Mike rolled off his inner-tube knowing that he was going to have to swim to save Larry as the current was far too swift to paddle the tube over to where Larry was splashing in the circling water of the eddy. As he swam toward Larry he was able to enter the big eddy just a few yards from Larry. Larry went under and disappeared. Mike swam to the spot where he last saw him but in this swift water the actual spot was uncertain. This was not a still pond but a raging river eddy fed by the swift rapids nearby. Mike tried hard to fight the swift current and stay where he last saw Larry. Suddenly, Larry’s hand appeared above the surface about two feet in front of Mike. Mike took a swift stroke and grabbed the wrist. Larry was in a panic. He quickly climbed right up on top of Mike and wrapped his legs and arms around Mike. Both of Mike’s arms were tied up by Larry’s tight grip caused by his fear and panic. They both began to sink.
This huge hole which contained this swift eddy was about 25-30 feet deep. Mike and his brother used to swim into it and dive toward the bottom just for the fun of it. Mike knew this was a deep and swift eddy that offered no forgiveness to a poor swimmer or foolish person. You had to know how to work your way out of an eddy such as this to survive. It took a strong swimmer who was not afraid to go under a few times to manage this feat. Another cardinal rule for the Salmon River - do not fight the current! You had to go with the current and use it to your advantage. All experienced river swimmers know this. Larry did not.
All his life to this day Mike remembers thinking, “Too bad, I have only been married two weeks and I am going to drown. I hope the Lord takes care of Birdie.”
Suddenly, Mike’s feet hit a soft, sandy bottom. His feet stuck to the sandy surface as well as if he had been walking on a dry sidewalk. This was impossible. The bottom of this eddy was covered with rocks and debris that had fallen off the cliffs for hundreds of years. Mike clearly remembered which way the bank was and with Larry clinging to his back and shoulders he simply walked out of the river. The swift water had no effect on his ability to carry Larry and himself to safety. They were able to get out of the river, safe and sound.
It was discovered later that Larry did not know how to swim and he figured he could just stick with the inner-tube and he would be OK. Mike and Vic never even thought to ask him if he could swim. They just assumed that he could.
All his life Mike has been grateful to his Father in Heaven for saving him that day many years ago. There were miracles given out that day on the Salmon River. Thank the Lord!
Written by Mike Hicks
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Police Story
Mike was a young police rookie. He had recently gone to work for the Ada County Sheriff’s Dept. in Boise, Idaho about eight months before. He had just turned 23 on his last birthday. He worked in the county jail for a few months and then about three months before, he had been transferred out of the jail and into a patrol car. His on-the-job training consisted of riding with a training officer until he was ready to work on his own.
It was a hot, summer day in 1965 in Boise and Mike was patrolling around the county on his area assignment. Suddenly, the radio came on with the desk officer calling his patrol number. “2213, Sheriff’s office.” Mike responded with, “2213, go ahead.” Sgt. Dicus instructed Mike to go immediately to a phone and call in to the office. Mike was close to the Seven Mile Tavern and so he pulled in and called the office on the phone there.
Sgt. Dicus informed him that he was to meet Chief Deputy Dave Rowe at the intersection of Five Mile Road and Overland Road. Dicus told him that there was a man in a house at an address on Five Mile Road that had beaten up his wife and threw her out of the house. She was currently at a neighbor’s calling the Sheriff’s Office. It seems the woman and her husband were getting a divorce and he was pretty violent and she had a restraining order to keep him away. He was in violation of the restraining order.
Mike immediately went to the intersection and found the Chief waiting for him. They went to the residence. Mike drove in front and the Chief behind. Upon arriving, Mike pulled his car past the house and parked in the neighbor’s driveway. Chief Rowe parked in front of the house. Immediately, before either of them could even get out of their cars, a man came out on the front porch of the house. He had a rifle in his hands and he pulled it to his shoulder and took aim at Chief Rowe. Rowe was trapped in his car and obviously felt it best to stay there for the moment as the door afforded some protection. Mike realized that the man, who they later learned was named L. Bertasso, had not seen him yet. To see Mike, all Bertasso had to do was turn his head to the left but he was too engrossed in making threats and swearing at Chief Rowe. Mike quickly got his shotgun from its mount on the dash of the car. He quietly got out of his car and silently let the door go closed. The shotgun was a 12 gauge police gun. It was loaded with five shells of double OO buckshot. This is like having nine .22 shells go off at the same time.
At this point, Bertasso whirled and went back inside the house. While he was in the house Mike worked the shotgun action and put a shell into the chamber. Also, Chief Rowe got out of his car with the 30-30 Winchester Carbine that he favored. Rowe got on the far side of his car.
Bertasso came back out onto the porch and again began to holler threats and swear at Rowe. Mike began to silently walk toward Bertasso. When he was about ten feet away he spoke up and said, “Ok, drop your rifle.” Bertasso looked over and for the first time saw Mike. Instead of obeying the command he pulled his rifle up and aimed it right at Mike. At this point the young officer pulled his shotgun to his shoulder and took aim at the center of Bertasso’s chest. He began to pull on the trigger and he took up the slack that all triggers have and was just putting the final pressure on to fire the gun. All this took place in a split second. Chief Rowe could see that someone was going to get shot and he yelled out as loud as he could at Bertasso while moving from behind his car to a spot on the sidewalk which was closer to the action. When Rowe screamed at him Bertasso whirled and went back into the house. There is no doubt that this action by Bertasso saved his life as Mike’s shotgun would have fired at any millisecond.
Bertasso came right back out and again lifted his rifle and aimed it at Mike. Again Mike took aim at Bertasso’s chest and began to squeeze the trigger. In less than a second Mike’s gun would have fired and Bertasso would have received nine .22 sized shots in the chest backed up by a huge load of gunpowder. He would have been killed for sure.
Rowe yelled once again and this caused Bertasso to lower his rifle and turn his attention back toward Rowe. Mike took this opportunity to quickly pull out his can of aerosol mace spray from its holster on his belt. He stepped up and sprayed this tear gas agent into Bertasso’s face. The effects of being sprayed in the face with this powerful chemical usually took anyone right off their feet. Bertasso went down but it did not blind him. He took his rifle by the barrel and began to swing it like a ball bat in Mike’s direction. Bertasso was up on a three step, concrete porch and Mike was able to step up under his wild swings and give him a very stiff, horizontal butt stroke along the left side of his head with the shotgun. When this happened, Bertasso staggered backwards and threw both arms in the air. Mike grabbed his rifle as Bertasso went off the porch and landed on his back in the flower beds. He was dazed and the fight was gone from him. Chief Rowe quickly jumped on Bertasso and had him hand-cuffed before he could do anything else.
The situation was over. Rowe loaded Bertasso in his car and Mike took the rifle and they both drove in to the Sheriff’s Office.
In his years as a policeman this was the closest to shooting anyone that Mike ever experienced. There were other pretty exciting events during those years but those are stories for another time. Mike went on to become a nominee for Policeman of Year in 1967 in the Boise area. He had dinner with the governor of the state along with a few fellow officers.
Mike quit law enforcement a few years after to become a school teacher – a decision he has never regretted. Over the years, Mike has often thought about how close he came to killing another human being during this incident. He has always been grateful that his gun did not fire. He credits the Lord with this and knows he was spared that day many years ago from taking another person’s life.
Written by Mike Hicks
It was a hot, summer day in 1965 in Boise and Mike was patrolling around the county on his area assignment. Suddenly, the radio came on with the desk officer calling his patrol number. “2213, Sheriff’s office.” Mike responded with, “2213, go ahead.” Sgt. Dicus instructed Mike to go immediately to a phone and call in to the office. Mike was close to the Seven Mile Tavern and so he pulled in and called the office on the phone there.
Sgt. Dicus informed him that he was to meet Chief Deputy Dave Rowe at the intersection of Five Mile Road and Overland Road. Dicus told him that there was a man in a house at an address on Five Mile Road that had beaten up his wife and threw her out of the house. She was currently at a neighbor’s calling the Sheriff’s Office. It seems the woman and her husband were getting a divorce and he was pretty violent and she had a restraining order to keep him away. He was in violation of the restraining order.
Mike immediately went to the intersection and found the Chief waiting for him. They went to the residence. Mike drove in front and the Chief behind. Upon arriving, Mike pulled his car past the house and parked in the neighbor’s driveway. Chief Rowe parked in front of the house. Immediately, before either of them could even get out of their cars, a man came out on the front porch of the house. He had a rifle in his hands and he pulled it to his shoulder and took aim at Chief Rowe. Rowe was trapped in his car and obviously felt it best to stay there for the moment as the door afforded some protection. Mike realized that the man, who they later learned was named L. Bertasso, had not seen him yet. To see Mike, all Bertasso had to do was turn his head to the left but he was too engrossed in making threats and swearing at Chief Rowe. Mike quickly got his shotgun from its mount on the dash of the car. He quietly got out of his car and silently let the door go closed. The shotgun was a 12 gauge police gun. It was loaded with five shells of double OO buckshot. This is like having nine .22 shells go off at the same time.
At this point, Bertasso whirled and went back inside the house. While he was in the house Mike worked the shotgun action and put a shell into the chamber. Also, Chief Rowe got out of his car with the 30-30 Winchester Carbine that he favored. Rowe got on the far side of his car.
Bertasso came back out onto the porch and again began to holler threats and swear at Rowe. Mike began to silently walk toward Bertasso. When he was about ten feet away he spoke up and said, “Ok, drop your rifle.” Bertasso looked over and for the first time saw Mike. Instead of obeying the command he pulled his rifle up and aimed it right at Mike. At this point the young officer pulled his shotgun to his shoulder and took aim at the center of Bertasso’s chest. He began to pull on the trigger and he took up the slack that all triggers have and was just putting the final pressure on to fire the gun. All this took place in a split second. Chief Rowe could see that someone was going to get shot and he yelled out as loud as he could at Bertasso while moving from behind his car to a spot on the sidewalk which was closer to the action. When Rowe screamed at him Bertasso whirled and went back into the house. There is no doubt that this action by Bertasso saved his life as Mike’s shotgun would have fired at any millisecond.
Bertasso came right back out and again lifted his rifle and aimed it at Mike. Again Mike took aim at Bertasso’s chest and began to squeeze the trigger. In less than a second Mike’s gun would have fired and Bertasso would have received nine .22 sized shots in the chest backed up by a huge load of gunpowder. He would have been killed for sure.
Rowe yelled once again and this caused Bertasso to lower his rifle and turn his attention back toward Rowe. Mike took this opportunity to quickly pull out his can of aerosol mace spray from its holster on his belt. He stepped up and sprayed this tear gas agent into Bertasso’s face. The effects of being sprayed in the face with this powerful chemical usually took anyone right off their feet. Bertasso went down but it did not blind him. He took his rifle by the barrel and began to swing it like a ball bat in Mike’s direction. Bertasso was up on a three step, concrete porch and Mike was able to step up under his wild swings and give him a very stiff, horizontal butt stroke along the left side of his head with the shotgun. When this happened, Bertasso staggered backwards and threw both arms in the air. Mike grabbed his rifle as Bertasso went off the porch and landed on his back in the flower beds. He was dazed and the fight was gone from him. Chief Rowe quickly jumped on Bertasso and had him hand-cuffed before he could do anything else.
The situation was over. Rowe loaded Bertasso in his car and Mike took the rifle and they both drove in to the Sheriff’s Office.
In his years as a policeman this was the closest to shooting anyone that Mike ever experienced. There were other pretty exciting events during those years but those are stories for another time. Mike went on to become a nominee for Policeman of Year in 1967 in the Boise area. He had dinner with the governor of the state along with a few fellow officers.
Mike quit law enforcement a few years after to become a school teacher – a decision he has never regretted. Over the years, Mike has often thought about how close he came to killing another human being during this incident. He has always been grateful that his gun did not fire. He credits the Lord with this and knows he was spared that day many years ago from taking another person’s life.
Written by Mike Hicks
Love Story
It was early fall in Salmon. Eighteen year old Mike who had graduated from high school in Challis the previous spring now worked at the Saveway grocery store for Edmund Bills. Bills’ nineteen year old son Jim worked there, too. Mary Bills, Edmund’s wife, ran the main till at the front of the store. Jim and Mike had become pretty good friends. Mary was also very friendly with Mike and often spent time talking with him.
There was this girl, Birdie King, who Mike had dated for a couple of years. They had broken up the previous winter. Birdie had been dating a lot of guys. She could date about anyone she wanted due to her being one of the most beautiful girls in Salmon. Jim had a friend named Benny Banks who Birdie had dated quite a bit just before she left the previous spring to go stay with her mother for the summer. Her mother lived in Boise and Birdie had been boarding with different families in Salmon for the past couple of years. She spent the winters in Salmon while attending school and the summers with her mother. This coming year she was going to board at the Bills’ home.
One day, Mike and Jim were talking about girls which are usually the subject of conversation among young men. Mike stated that he wished he and Birdie hadn’t broken up as he thought a lot of her and wouldn’t mind dating her again.
Jim replied, “Oh you can’t date Birdie now, she is Benny’s girl.”
Mike didn’t say anything to Jim but to himself he said, “Oh yeh, well we’ll see about that!”
Mike knew that Birdie would be coming back to Salmon soon as school was going to start in a couple of weeks. The next day he casually asked Mary, who he knew Birdie was going to be boarding with, if she knew when Birdie was coming back to town. Mary told him that Birdie was coming in on the evening bus that coming Friday night.
Friday night came and Mike was waiting at the Bus stop at the Herndon Hotel. It was about 9:00 pm and the bus pulled in. Sure enough, there was Birdie. Mike’s heart took a jump in his chest as she was just as beautiful as always.
When she got off the bus and saw Mike standing there she asked, “What are you doing here?”
He replied, “I am waiting for Lonny who is coming in any day now from the army.” Lonny is Mike’s older brother and really was expected home from basic training in California, although not for several more weeks.
Birdie said, “Oh, well he wasn’t on the bus.”
Mike said, “Too bad, but as long as I’m here why don’t I give you a ride up to the Bills’ house?”
Birdie said, “Oh, I would love that but Cornell has offered to take me home in the bus after he unloads.”
Mike said, “That’s a big hassle for him to drive you up there in this big bus. I’ll be glad to do it.”
At that point Mike went over to the bus and began to pull Birdie’s luggage out of the storage compartment. Immediately Cornell, the young single bus driver, saw what Mike was doing and came running over.
He said, “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking Birdie home,” Mike replied.
Cornell could see his grip on this dark eyed beauty slipping away. He said, “You don’t need to, I’m going to take her home in the bus.”
Mike told him in a low but firm voice, one that Birdie could not hear, “Forget about that and while you are at it, forget about Birdie, because she will be with me from now on.”
Mike carried the trunk over to his car and left Cornell standing there with a very hurt look on his face.
Mike loaded the luggage and helped Birdie get into the passenger side of the car. He got in and drove away from the curb. As he made the right hand turn onto Main Street he saw in his rear view mirror the fancy little Porsche that belonged to Benny pulling up behind him. Mike turned right and Benny turned left and spun his tires for about a block down the street.
Birdie asked, “What is that noise?”
Mike replied, “Oh, just some jerk spinning his tires, he must be mad about something.”
Mike took Birdie’s luggage up to Bills’ house and left it there. He then asked Birdie if she wanted to go for a ride and she accepted. Mary was delighted when she saw who it was that had brought Birdie’s luggage home. She always thought they were a cute couple.
The young couple drove around that night for hours and they both realized how much in love they really were. They were married a few months later, on July 5, 1961, in the Idaho Falls Temple for time and eternity.
It was meant to be...
Written by Mike Hicks
There was this girl, Birdie King, who Mike had dated for a couple of years. They had broken up the previous winter. Birdie had been dating a lot of guys. She could date about anyone she wanted due to her being one of the most beautiful girls in Salmon. Jim had a friend named Benny Banks who Birdie had dated quite a bit just before she left the previous spring to go stay with her mother for the summer. Her mother lived in Boise and Birdie had been boarding with different families in Salmon for the past couple of years. She spent the winters in Salmon while attending school and the summers with her mother. This coming year she was going to board at the Bills’ home.
One day, Mike and Jim were talking about girls which are usually the subject of conversation among young men. Mike stated that he wished he and Birdie hadn’t broken up as he thought a lot of her and wouldn’t mind dating her again.
Jim replied, “Oh you can’t date Birdie now, she is Benny’s girl.”
Mike didn’t say anything to Jim but to himself he said, “Oh yeh, well we’ll see about that!”
Mike knew that Birdie would be coming back to Salmon soon as school was going to start in a couple of weeks. The next day he casually asked Mary, who he knew Birdie was going to be boarding with, if she knew when Birdie was coming back to town. Mary told him that Birdie was coming in on the evening bus that coming Friday night.
Friday night came and Mike was waiting at the Bus stop at the Herndon Hotel. It was about 9:00 pm and the bus pulled in. Sure enough, there was Birdie. Mike’s heart took a jump in his chest as she was just as beautiful as always.
When she got off the bus and saw Mike standing there she asked, “What are you doing here?”
He replied, “I am waiting for Lonny who is coming in any day now from the army.” Lonny is Mike’s older brother and really was expected home from basic training in California, although not for several more weeks.
Birdie said, “Oh, well he wasn’t on the bus.”
Mike said, “Too bad, but as long as I’m here why don’t I give you a ride up to the Bills’ house?”
Birdie said, “Oh, I would love that but Cornell has offered to take me home in the bus after he unloads.”
Mike said, “That’s a big hassle for him to drive you up there in this big bus. I’ll be glad to do it.”
At that point Mike went over to the bus and began to pull Birdie’s luggage out of the storage compartment. Immediately Cornell, the young single bus driver, saw what Mike was doing and came running over.
He said, “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking Birdie home,” Mike replied.
Cornell could see his grip on this dark eyed beauty slipping away. He said, “You don’t need to, I’m going to take her home in the bus.”
Mike told him in a low but firm voice, one that Birdie could not hear, “Forget about that and while you are at it, forget about Birdie, because she will be with me from now on.”
Mike carried the trunk over to his car and left Cornell standing there with a very hurt look on his face.
Mike loaded the luggage and helped Birdie get into the passenger side of the car. He got in and drove away from the curb. As he made the right hand turn onto Main Street he saw in his rear view mirror the fancy little Porsche that belonged to Benny pulling up behind him. Mike turned right and Benny turned left and spun his tires for about a block down the street.
Birdie asked, “What is that noise?”
Mike replied, “Oh, just some jerk spinning his tires, he must be mad about something.”
Mike took Birdie’s luggage up to Bills’ house and left it there. He then asked Birdie if she wanted to go for a ride and she accepted. Mary was delighted when she saw who it was that had brought Birdie’s luggage home. She always thought they were a cute couple.
The young couple drove around that night for hours and they both realized how much in love they really were. They were married a few months later, on July 5, 1961, in the Idaho Falls Temple for time and eternity.
It was meant to be...
Written by Mike Hicks
Two Boys and a Frozen River: True Story
It was a cold, winter day on December the 27th. The Hicks boys were out of school for Christmas break. They were walking up the ditch bank through the hay field on John Tomonovich’s ranch. It was pretty risky going this way since the snow was about eight inches deep and crusted. Walking was hard enough but if John’s bull should notice them in the field he would charge them and running would be very difficult in the crusted snow. However, it was a short cut to the river and they kept a wary eye on the bull that was with his harem of cows a few hundred yards across the field. The old bull raised his head and watched the boys but did not charge like he always did in the warmer weather days. They figured he was enjoying the warmth of the herd and did not want to exert himself on such a cold day. The boys got across the field and climbed through the fence and up onto the rock dike that ran several miles along the river. The dike was to keep the water off John’s field in the spring during high water time.
Lonny who was fourteen and his brother Mike, a year younger, were setting off on a winter day adventure. Lonny was carrying his fishing pole and some grubs for bait and an axe to cut a hole in the ice. Mike had his .22 rifle to shoot some ducks with if he could find any before they spooked and flew up. As the boys walked along the top of the dike they felt the snow crunching under their boots as it did when the weather was below zero. Lonny commented that “It sure is colder than a well digger’s butt.” Mike replied, “Yeh, it said 18 below on the thermometer on the side of the house when we left a while ago.” The boys had lots of experience dealing with cold weather as they had lived in the little house on River Street in Salmon, since the family came back to Idaho several years before from Arizona. They had moved to Arizona when Lonny was about seven to sweat out the rheumatic fever that he had then. Old Doc Goggins told their parents to take him to a hot, dry climate and he would get well. So, the family moved to Arizona for a year and sure enough, Lonny got over the fever.
Soon they reached the place on the river where an island separated the river into two channels and the small channel, nearer the dike, was frozen over as they knew it would be. There was still a pretty swift current in this channel but not the rough water that was in the larger channel on the other side of the island.
Mike stood on the dike and watched as Lonny slowly walked out onto the ice to test it for thickness. It seemed OK and he began to chop a hole for fishing. Mike hollered, “I will see you later at the house, I am going on up to the head of the big ditch and then I will hunt ducks back down it until I get home.” Lonny yelled back, “OK, I will fish for an hour or so until I get too cold and then go on back to the house, see you there.” Mike replied, “OK, don’t let that bull get you on your way back across John’s field.”
Mike then went on his way up the dike to the head gate that allowed water from the river into the big ditch. The head gate was closed this time of year but Mike knew there were a few pools of water down along the ditch that the ducks kept open during the winter. Ducks can keep water from freezing by swimming in it. They do this to get feed from the bottom of the ponds. He expected he could sneak up and shoot a duck or two with is .22 if he was quiet enough.
Mike did his stalking along the ditch for a mile or so without any luck. The crusted snow was too noisy and the ducks kept flying up before he could sneak through the brush close enough for a shot. He decided that it was to darn cold anyway so he guessed he would just hurry on home before he got much colder. The house was about a half mile away and Mike knew he would be in the warm kitchen in a few minutes with his rear backed up close to the wood stove if he hurried.
As Mike began to increase his walking speed toward the house and warmth he suddenly had the thought that he should go see if Lonny had caught any fish. He told himself, “No, I will see the fish when he gets home after while.” So he hurried along toward home. Again, he got a strong feeling that he should go see how Lonny was doing. He argued with himself for a few minutes and finally told himself, “Crap, I don’t know why I should freeze my butt off but I guess I will so I can see if Lonny caught anything yet.” Mike turned around and began the walk back up the ditch to where he could cross the field to where he knew Lonny was fishing. It was about a mile back and he was pretty grumpy but somehow felt like he should do this.
In the cold weather and crusted snow it took Mike about 45 minutes to get back up the ditch and across the field to the spot where Lonny was fishing. As he climbed up onto the top of the dike he saw his brother out mid-way in the frozen river channel. Lonny was standing in the middle of a hole in the ice. He had obviously broken through. He was in the bitterly cold water up to his arm pits. He had his hands out on the ice on either side of him, keeping his balance so he would not be swept under the ice in the fairly swift current. Mike was amazed that Lonny could be standing there because this was one of the boys favorite swimming spots in the summer and he knew the water there was ten or fifteen feet deep.
Lonny was clearly in serious danger because of the deep water and the swift current. Also, the channel was iced over for at least 300 yards down stream from where Lonny was standing in the water. No way would he live through it if he went under the ice. In fact, they would probably never find is body because there was only a small opening in ice below him and then the river iced over for miles below that. Mike yelled to Lonny, “How can you be standing there in that deep water?” Lonny yelled back, “My feet landed on a tree sticking out from the bank, get me out of here before I slip off and go under.”
Mike quickly broke off a dead branch from a nearby willow tree and crawled out on the ice on his stomach. He extended the branch toward Lonny who grabbed tight with both hands when it got within reach. Mike gradually pulled Lonny out of the hole and up onto the icey surface. Both boys slowly crawled back toward the bank and when they got to safe ice they got up and got off the ice. Mike told Lonny, “Run for home before you freeze.” Lonny took off on the run down off the dike and over the fence and across the field toward home. Mike went back to the ice and crawled out a ways and reach with the long branch and pulled Lonny’s fishing pole and the axe to him. When he could he got hold of them and got off the ice and ran for home too.
By this time Lonny was far across the field and in the trees on the other side. The bull was still with the cows. Mike followed Lonny’s tracks in the snow to make sure he got home OK. It was about a mile and a half so it took a little while for Mike to run home. When he got there Lonny was sitting in the kitchen, near the wood stove with a blanket wrapped around him. His wet clothes were still frozen stiff and leaning against the wall behind the stove to thaw out. Both boys realized how close this had been to a real tragedy for this Idaho family.
Over the years since this happened the thought often came as to why Mike felt so compelled to go back up the ditch bank to check on Lonny? Interestingly, Mike was on his way back to see Lonny, even before he had fallen through the ice. Also, how did Lonny’s feet happen to land on the slippery tree under the ice? No doubt it was the Lord who caused Mike to go back up the ditch. Thank God for the His foreknowledge and His miracles. The Lord looks over us...
Written by Mike Hicks
Lonny who was fourteen and his brother Mike, a year younger, were setting off on a winter day adventure. Lonny was carrying his fishing pole and some grubs for bait and an axe to cut a hole in the ice. Mike had his .22 rifle to shoot some ducks with if he could find any before they spooked and flew up. As the boys walked along the top of the dike they felt the snow crunching under their boots as it did when the weather was below zero. Lonny commented that “It sure is colder than a well digger’s butt.” Mike replied, “Yeh, it said 18 below on the thermometer on the side of the house when we left a while ago.” The boys had lots of experience dealing with cold weather as they had lived in the little house on River Street in Salmon, since the family came back to Idaho several years before from Arizona. They had moved to Arizona when Lonny was about seven to sweat out the rheumatic fever that he had then. Old Doc Goggins told their parents to take him to a hot, dry climate and he would get well. So, the family moved to Arizona for a year and sure enough, Lonny got over the fever.
Soon they reached the place on the river where an island separated the river into two channels and the small channel, nearer the dike, was frozen over as they knew it would be. There was still a pretty swift current in this channel but not the rough water that was in the larger channel on the other side of the island.
Mike stood on the dike and watched as Lonny slowly walked out onto the ice to test it for thickness. It seemed OK and he began to chop a hole for fishing. Mike hollered, “I will see you later at the house, I am going on up to the head of the big ditch and then I will hunt ducks back down it until I get home.” Lonny yelled back, “OK, I will fish for an hour or so until I get too cold and then go on back to the house, see you there.” Mike replied, “OK, don’t let that bull get you on your way back across John’s field.”
Mike then went on his way up the dike to the head gate that allowed water from the river into the big ditch. The head gate was closed this time of year but Mike knew there were a few pools of water down along the ditch that the ducks kept open during the winter. Ducks can keep water from freezing by swimming in it. They do this to get feed from the bottom of the ponds. He expected he could sneak up and shoot a duck or two with is .22 if he was quiet enough.
Mike did his stalking along the ditch for a mile or so without any luck. The crusted snow was too noisy and the ducks kept flying up before he could sneak through the brush close enough for a shot. He decided that it was to darn cold anyway so he guessed he would just hurry on home before he got much colder. The house was about a half mile away and Mike knew he would be in the warm kitchen in a few minutes with his rear backed up close to the wood stove if he hurried.
As Mike began to increase his walking speed toward the house and warmth he suddenly had the thought that he should go see if Lonny had caught any fish. He told himself, “No, I will see the fish when he gets home after while.” So he hurried along toward home. Again, he got a strong feeling that he should go see how Lonny was doing. He argued with himself for a few minutes and finally told himself, “Crap, I don’t know why I should freeze my butt off but I guess I will so I can see if Lonny caught anything yet.” Mike turned around and began the walk back up the ditch to where he could cross the field to where he knew Lonny was fishing. It was about a mile back and he was pretty grumpy but somehow felt like he should do this.
In the cold weather and crusted snow it took Mike about 45 minutes to get back up the ditch and across the field to the spot where Lonny was fishing. As he climbed up onto the top of the dike he saw his brother out mid-way in the frozen river channel. Lonny was standing in the middle of a hole in the ice. He had obviously broken through. He was in the bitterly cold water up to his arm pits. He had his hands out on the ice on either side of him, keeping his balance so he would not be swept under the ice in the fairly swift current. Mike was amazed that Lonny could be standing there because this was one of the boys favorite swimming spots in the summer and he knew the water there was ten or fifteen feet deep.
Lonny was clearly in serious danger because of the deep water and the swift current. Also, the channel was iced over for at least 300 yards down stream from where Lonny was standing in the water. No way would he live through it if he went under the ice. In fact, they would probably never find is body because there was only a small opening in ice below him and then the river iced over for miles below that. Mike yelled to Lonny, “How can you be standing there in that deep water?” Lonny yelled back, “My feet landed on a tree sticking out from the bank, get me out of here before I slip off and go under.”
Mike quickly broke off a dead branch from a nearby willow tree and crawled out on the ice on his stomach. He extended the branch toward Lonny who grabbed tight with both hands when it got within reach. Mike gradually pulled Lonny out of the hole and up onto the icey surface. Both boys slowly crawled back toward the bank and when they got to safe ice they got up and got off the ice. Mike told Lonny, “Run for home before you freeze.” Lonny took off on the run down off the dike and over the fence and across the field toward home. Mike went back to the ice and crawled out a ways and reach with the long branch and pulled Lonny’s fishing pole and the axe to him. When he could he got hold of them and got off the ice and ran for home too.
By this time Lonny was far across the field and in the trees on the other side. The bull was still with the cows. Mike followed Lonny’s tracks in the snow to make sure he got home OK. It was about a mile and a half so it took a little while for Mike to run home. When he got there Lonny was sitting in the kitchen, near the wood stove with a blanket wrapped around him. His wet clothes were still frozen stiff and leaning against the wall behind the stove to thaw out. Both boys realized how close this had been to a real tragedy for this Idaho family.
Over the years since this happened the thought often came as to why Mike felt so compelled to go back up the ditch bank to check on Lonny? Interestingly, Mike was on his way back to see Lonny, even before he had fallen through the ice. Also, how did Lonny’s feet happen to land on the slippery tree under the ice? No doubt it was the Lord who caused Mike to go back up the ditch. Thank God for the His foreknowledge and His miracles. The Lord looks over us...
Written by Mike Hicks
Harry and the CCC's
When Dave got us all teamed up, we were a team of fellows that you win quite a few first's awards. We took a 8 ft piece of 4" pipe, loaded it with first, 4 sticks of dyno-mite, about 1 lb. of carbide, drilled a tiny hole in the breech where we could put a fuse in to the dino-mite and also pour water on the carbide.
Buried the breech up in dirt and loaded our cannon with rocks and pointing it at the cook-house, we poured water on the carbide and give it about two minutes, then we lit the fuse about 6 inches long. Well there were some of the boys setting around the cook shack at the time our home made cannon went off. Well, hell broke loose. It blew the cook house off the hill top, rolled it right over, and several of the boys was meowing around camp for several days with stone bruises.
Of coarse the dino-mite split the breech of our cannon and blew it out of the ground. Well, the Captain of the 15inf Camp F92 swore he was going to get to the bottom of this gag. So he called us all down to F92, and lined us all up in line. And in a Father Bear voice, told us of the horrible act of war we had perpatrated on supposedly friends.
And gave us several examples of the horrible deeds that so and so pulled while he was in the Army. And the old hot bowling ball trick and etc. And therefore, the perpatrators of this deed take one step forward. Lo and behold, the entire line up took one step forward sending the Captain into such a rage, he immediately set off on a canter around the room whipping his legs and high English Riding boots with that short buggy whip Officers always carry around to flex their muscles on, while saying dam, dam, dam.
Well I see it's to be the 3rd degree for you men. A guy can't treat you decent. While my partner, who seemed to have some experience, was repeating in his soft voice Yes Sir, No Sir, Yes Sir, no Sir. I really think it had the effect on calming the Captain down.
Well the famous third degree was he split us up in groups of 5 men. Then he would call each group in for counciltation there after, he had filed about 1/2 of us by him, he came hurrying out and told us not to worry, two of the boys had confessed. So we told him that those two boys wasn't even there when it happened. Then he said he would have to revert to the tried and true method called observance. And he turned us loose to travel around camp at put leisure, while he would watch us with a pair of field glasses. He finally gave it up and we went back to our Spike camp. Laughing after that episode, we felt very close to each other, almost like brothers, and we put our arms around each other and sang all our old CCC songs, especially we would sing " In the Valley of the Moon."
Take from Harry Hicks' Life History
Buried the breech up in dirt and loaded our cannon with rocks and pointing it at the cook-house, we poured water on the carbide and give it about two minutes, then we lit the fuse about 6 inches long. Well there were some of the boys setting around the cook shack at the time our home made cannon went off. Well, hell broke loose. It blew the cook house off the hill top, rolled it right over, and several of the boys was meowing around camp for several days with stone bruises.
Of coarse the dino-mite split the breech of our cannon and blew it out of the ground. Well, the Captain of the 15inf Camp F92 swore he was going to get to the bottom of this gag. So he called us all down to F92, and lined us all up in line. And in a Father Bear voice, told us of the horrible act of war we had perpatrated on supposedly friends.
And gave us several examples of the horrible deeds that so and so pulled while he was in the Army. And the old hot bowling ball trick and etc. And therefore, the perpatrators of this deed take one step forward. Lo and behold, the entire line up took one step forward sending the Captain into such a rage, he immediately set off on a canter around the room whipping his legs and high English Riding boots with that short buggy whip Officers always carry around to flex their muscles on, while saying dam, dam, dam.
Well I see it's to be the 3rd degree for you men. A guy can't treat you decent. While my partner, who seemed to have some experience, was repeating in his soft voice Yes Sir, No Sir, Yes Sir, no Sir. I really think it had the effect on calming the Captain down.
Well the famous third degree was he split us up in groups of 5 men. Then he would call each group in for counciltation there after, he had filed about 1/2 of us by him, he came hurrying out and told us not to worry, two of the boys had confessed. So we told him that those two boys wasn't even there when it happened. Then he said he would have to revert to the tried and true method called observance. And he turned us loose to travel around camp at put leisure, while he would watch us with a pair of field glasses. He finally gave it up and we went back to our Spike camp. Laughing after that episode, we felt very close to each other, almost like brothers, and we put our arms around each other and sang all our old CCC songs, especially we would sing " In the Valley of the Moon."
Take from Harry Hicks' Life History
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