Geocaching outing turns tragic
July 22, 2011
Geocaching is a high-tech pastime enjoyed by millions around the world, who glean hints from the Internet on "treasures," usually of little value, hidden in places around the world. Using the hints and GPS coordinates that help them reach the general area, geocachers set out on treks to find those treasures for the sheer joy of visiting new places, solving the mystery and tallying their successes on websites dedicated to the the challenge.

On Wednesday, just such a trip turned tragic for two Bonners Ferry families.

Lifelong Bonners Ferry resident Jack Flinn, his wife, Violet, her twin sister, Velda, and husband Robert W. "Bob" North, avid geocacher's all, traveled north to British Columbia in search of their next geocache find.

"We've gone geochaching as far away as Arizona and New Mexico," Jack said. "It was something we just enjoyed doing."

On July 20, they crossed the U.S./Canada border and followed the clues north on Highway 3A to an overlook on Kootenay Lake, about two miles north of the Glass House, where a cache was supposed to be hidden. Rated 1.5 on a difficulty scale of five, the cache should have been easy to find.

"A six-year-old can typically find a 1.5 if they reach the right area," Jack said.

While Violet and Velda stayed behind in the camper, Jack and Bob fanned out to look for the cache.

"The area was basically flat, then it dropped off down a grassy slope of about 45-degrees," Jack said. Bob, 75, went to search on the slope, lost his footing and slid down the hill. Jack saw him fall and ran over to help, but watched in horror as Bob, gaining speed on the slick, dewy grass, slid headfirst down the slope, ramming head-on into a large tree.

"All I could do was watch him slide, and there was nothing he could do to slow himself," Jack said.

Jack ran down the hill to his long-time friend and brother-in-law, pulled him away from the tree, and used his own body to keep Bob from rolling farther down the hill.

"I should have gone feet first," Bob told him, as Jack let loose his loud, shrieking whistles to summon help.

His whistles caught the attention of a family of three who happened to be nearby. After the wife ascertained that Jack needed help, her husband, who happened to be a firefighter and EMT, soon joined Jack at Bob's side as his wife called for help.

Kootenay Heli Rescue, Nelson, B.C., launched two helicopters, an ambulance was dispatched from Creston and Nelson Search and Rescue was called in.

After talking to his brother in law for a moment, Bob began gasping for breath, then fell silent. Jack and the EMT, whose name is not known, initiated CPR as they waited for help to arrive. By the time Nelson Search and Rescue members arrived on scene, CPR had been in progress for several minutes, and they called off the helicopters, calling in a hillside rescue team to recover North's body.

Bob and Jack had been friends for years, long before they became family.

"We both worked for the phone company and met around 1979," a visibly shaken Jack said. "He lost his first wife to cancer, and he married my sister-in-law, Violet's twin Velda, about 12 years ago. He was a great guy and we had a lot of fun together.

"Please stop and think about how your world would change in the blink of an eye. It does happen ... I will truly miss you, Bob."