Mother Nature head on Clarkson couple survives 'The Perfect Storm' The way George Shaw figures it, he's probably down to his last two lives. Shaw has had many close calls before due to illness, accidents and the like, but he and his wife, Rosemary, shared a near death experience this summer that they'll never forget. The couple of 30 years shares a love of traveling and fishing. The two desires are quenched by a long drive to Northern Ontario, Canada. They have traveled there each year for the last six years to fish on Lake Nipigon and take in the untouched natural beauty that surrounds the area. Shaw said a drive through the village will often involve seeing bears or moose. During their last visit to Lake Nipigon at the end of August, the Shaws encountered something scarier than coming face to face with a bear; they experienced a head on collision with Mother Nature. They had traveled up the lake in their 16 foot aluminum boat taking in the sights and scooping up the fish. It was 5:30 p.m. and after only an hour and a half they had caught their fair share of fish and were getting ready to head back. The water was a little rough, but not anything that really caused them concern. "Sometimes rough waters mean good fishing," said Shaw. Good fishing was what they enjoyed, until they discovered what else rough waters could mean. The Shaws got sandwiched in a bizarre weather pattern. The wind picked up tremendously from one direction and the rain began pelting them from another. Almost instantaneously the temperature dropped from 60 degrees to 40 degrees. And the rough water became much more turbulent. Three-foot high waves crashed in followed by five foot waves. He managed to maneuver the boat behind five small islands, hoping to use them as a shield. The Shaws saw that they weren't the only ones to try this, as there were several fishing boats ducking behind the islands, but to no avail. Unfortunately, the tiny islands provided no shelter. The water poured into the boat and it sank to the bottom of the lake leaving them in cold water up to their necks. They managed to struggle to the shore of one of the islands and hide behind two boulders covered in branches. "I told Rosemary 'This is it' and we started praying," said Shaw. Luckily for the Shaws, some of their fellow fishermen were extremely resourceful. The other boaters knew that they could start a fire with birch bark even in the pouring rain. The Shaws waded through more cold water to get to the others and take advantage of the fire. "We were blue we were so cold," Shaw said. After hours went by, help came from the lodge they had been staying in. A 30-foot boat taxied all of the shipwrecked fishermen back to the shore. Seven hours after they had set out, the Shaws were finally safe and dry. Despite the treacherous boat ride, Shaw said the couple is undaunted and will continue to travel the world. "I didn't think I would ever get her in a boat again," Shaw said. "But she is already talking about our next trip." |
