Send your own story of a close call while hunting or fishing to THTM@OutdoorLife.com, and you could receive a free copy of our “This Happened to Me” book. THTM has been a fixture of Outdoor Life since it first appeared in 1940, and we’ve since compiled some of the most harrowing, hair-raising misadventures readers have ever experienced in a single volume. If we run your story, we’ll send you a copy. You can pore over the 183 pages of this action-packed book knowing you’re in good company.
Iced Twice: Bob Hayward, Yuba City, CA
My buddies and I were duck hunting the Shoshone River in Wyoming. We hit one mallard and it fell in the river. Tony ShasteenMy lab jumped into the water to retrieve it, but the current pulled him under the ice. Then he popped back up again, fighting hard. I ran out to help. Tony ShasteenI lay down on the ice and inched forward until I could grab his neck and haul him out, duck and all. but just as i saved him, my buddy Gary fell through the ice! He had been watching the rescue attempt when the ice broke under him. Tony ShasteenNow I had to act fast again and crawl to him, too. Our other buddy grabbed my legs, and we pulled Gary out of the frigid river and onto solid ground. Tony ShasteenIt was -20°F and Gary’s clothes froze to his body. We were 3 miles from town and he couldn’t walk, so we built a fire and waited until he was warm enough to walk out. Tony Shasteen
