[Paddlewise] re briefing guide/Cayo Costa (long)

In a message dated 12/26/1999 6:44:25 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
nicholas.gill_at_adfa.edu.au writes:

<<  We are going to put 'useful info' on the back. We have a list of ideas 
(eg weather forecast ph. numbers). But if you were a trip leader what would 
you like to see on this back side? Anything you think you might need to jog 
your memory about tides, navigation, weather or whatever, or something you 
might need to know in an emergency, or any last minute bit of info you might 
need to get/call for. >>

Definitely include emergency contact numbers.  I kinda didn't have the 
stamina left to give you guys the Thanksgiving on Cayo Costa Trip report.  
One of our companions had a heart attack and did not survive.

I wrote a fairly detailed email to Sierra Club members and then a toned down 
article for the newsletter - but it did not make the deadline, so it remains 
unpublished.  Please do not forward to anyone without my permission.

CAYO COSTA TRAGEDY
After a delightful turkey dinner and three days on the island, Ken Woodside 
suffered a heart attack at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning.  He did not survive.  
Fortunately, he had been talking to Mary Ann Marks who is a nurse and Carmen 
Cleary (also a nurse) was close by.  Carmen came over to my tent to ask if I 
had a cellphone.

He had no pulse.  While they performed CPR, I called 9-1-1.  Meanwhile 
Theresa Williams (who had been telling us about the wilderness first aid 
course she had taken) also stepped in.  Thus they were able to perform CPR 
while alternating so they could take turn resting.  I was fetching a pillow 
and then water while remaining on hold with the emergency dispatcher.

Slowly others woke up and we sent people out to the beginning of the trail 
and the beach with flashlights.  The helicopter arrived in 30 minutes 
(considering the distance and all the complications.)  We were at the far end 
of the camping area in a state park.  Cayo Costa is a barrier island off Fort 
Myers on the west coast of Fla.

Ken was in his early sixties and had suffered a heart attack about two years 
ago.  He also had had surgery for cancer on his leg, and a marrow transplant 
because of leukemia.  His most recent health problem: they had discovered a 
spot on his lung and he knew he was in for more surgery and ??? next year.

The paramedics worked on him for another 15 minutes.  He was transported by 
helicopter to the morgue at Fort Myers.  

He collapsed and died (apparently) instantly, without pain, and among his 
many friends doing what he loved to do...in a beautiful place.  An beautiful 
and awe-inspiring moment was when the chopper circled over our campfire and 
we were able to wave goodbye -- some shone their flashlights in the air.  It 
was as if he was being taken to heaven.

I think we all said that this is how we would like to "go" when our time 
comes.  We got back into our tents at 4:00 a.m.  Some of us managed to catch 
a little sleep before waking up at 6:30 a.m. to pack up and return 
home...saddened, but with the knowledge that everything possible was done.

EVERYONE was simply wonderful.  Everything was done in an organized manner.  
Someone stoked the campfire, someone else put water to boil for coffee, and 
the whole thing was very dignified.  No one interfered with the basic rescue 
effort and it was a great feeling to be among such strong and confident 
people.

As is usual with human nature, there were humorous moments.  One of them was 
that one member of the group slept through it all and only found out in the 
morning.  Actually, there were two of them, but one was woken up toward the 
end.  Sound sleepers!

Please understand that this is just the basic story.  There are many little 
moments and memories of things he/we did and said over the weekend that are 
part of a Sierra trip and that have united all the participants in a special 
way.  I hope we will be able to go back next year and perform a special 
memorial service.

Sandy Kramer

THIS IS THE AS YET UNPUBLISHED ARTICLE I WROTE FOR OUR NEWSLETTER:

THANKSGIVING ON CAYO COSTA

There was that dreaded question again, "How was your Thanksgiving?" or "How 
was your camping trip?"  It's really hard to say, "Thanksgiving was great, 
the camping trip was great BUT..."  And it's a very big "but" so I might as 
well say it up front: Dr. Ken Woodside, our friend and a true lover of nature 
and life, suffered a heart attack -- and did not recover.  In true Ken form, 
I will talk about the positives, and not dwell on the negative.  This story 
will be in sequential order, so...here goes:

This was my first trip to Cayo Costa since the park no longer allowed us to 
camp on the beach.  Gone was hearing the ocean and watching dolphins from our 
tents.  All things change, so I decided to give it a try.  One of the pluses, 
was that most of the heavy gear (including coolers) went via ferry 
accompanied by our leader, Cathy Stripling.

Loren Vidaud, now from Orlando, and Mary Ann Marks, recently relocated to 
Naples, met us at the put-in on Pine Island (this is near Fort Myers on the 
west coast of Florida).  After hugs and kisses, shuttling vehicles, and 
loading gear, we enjoyed the lovely weather and the pleasant paddle over to 
the barrier island of Cayo Costa .

Once we arrived, all gear had to be lifted from floating canoes onto a moored 
power boat and then up to the wall.  Not as easy as our usual "slide" onto 
the sandy beach and then a short walk to the dunes where we used to pitch our 
tents.  The gear then had to be loaded onto a "tram" and we were ferried down 
a dirt road to another dumping spot.  AND THEN THE ABSOLUTE WORST PART was 
schlepping all our gear (and if you've ever been on one of our trips you know 
what this means) to the campsites at the very furthest end of the campground. 
 (Why do people feel the need to put us as far away as possible.  Us, noisy?  
NEVER!  Well, maybe a little...)

Cathy had brought along a dolly, so the heavy stuff was rolled along.  Camp 
was set up and we started preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner al fresco.  Loren 
did a fantastic job of bringing us a cooked turkey dinner.  We had a little 
ceremony for the occasion and then dug in.  Yummy.  (Don't worry, Loren, we 
didn't mind not having our pumpkin pies, and yes, I know you'll choose the 
pre-cooked kind next time.)

Many Sierrans are hardy individuals who like to go out in the heat and cut 
down trails.  The first day was the mandatory work detail; the second (and 
much smaller) group was voluntary.  ( A couple of wimps were delighted to be 
relegated to camp clean up and lunch preparation.)  Ken was on both of these 
forays, giving no inclination that maybe he should have been taking it easy.  
He was in top form.  

Friday night's meal was a delicious spaghetti dinner catered by Ken.  The 
evening routine of sitting around the campfire telling stories and jokes was 
enhanced by musical interludes performed by Charles Baron on the violin and 
Ken on the recorder.  Greensleeves will now bring forth a special memory.  
The first line is, "What child is this, has laid to rest..."  Who would have 
thought that Ken himself would be "laid to rest" before the trip was over.

I asked Ken to tell us about the time when he and other Sierrans climbed to 
the top of Fort Jefferson (in the Dry Tortugas, west of Key West) to 
participate in the lowering of the flag ceremony.  The park rangers provided 
civil war era costumes and it was an unforgettable sight to see members of 
our group, led by Ken who (to the rangers' amazement) played an appropriate 
tune on his recorder, parading over this incredibly beautiful spot.

At Cayo Costa, individuals chose to hike, explore, lie on the beach, or take 
turns resting in my hammock.  We strengthened our ties with old friends and 
got to know new ones.  On this annual Thanksgiving ritual, 17 of us chose to 
be together.  Unfortunately, only 16 of us returned; however, that in no way 
diminishes the "specialness" of this holiday dedicated to giving thanks.  If 
anything, we came back even more grateful because we, at least, still had the 
gift of life.  

In my article on the Peace River trip I mentioned how a returning motley crew 
of Sierrans is like a family.  This was even more so on this occasion.  We 
were united by Ken's passing, and the sight of the Fire Rescue helicopter 
circling our campfire to give us the last opportunity to wave goodbye as he 
was lifted to the heavens is unforgettable.  His spirit will always be with 
us.

Sandy Kramer
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