Canoeist drowns in Big Darby Creek
05-21-07 BIG DARBY CREEK, OH: Before drowning in the Big Darby Creek yesterday, a man committed 3 fatal mistakes: He had been drinking in a canoe. He wasn't wearing a life jacket. He tried to swim in very cold water. The 30-y/o man, identified last night as Corrie Fister, was canoeing with friends shortly before 6 p.m. (05-21) when the canoe capsized, said Maj. Alan Mann Sr. of the Franklin Co. sheriff's office. Fister had been in a group of 13 adults in 5 canoes from Trapper John's Canoe Livery. Fister and another man in his canoe had brought beer and other alcohol in their canoe, which is against the rules of the livery. Trapper John's provided each of them with a life vest, neither was wearing 1 when the boat flipped.
Fister's friend grabbed hold of the overturned canoe and made it to the embankment. But Fister decided to swim out into deeper water. The water soon took him under and pulled him downstream. If they had their life jackets on, he might have had a chance. The friend called out to the other canoeists. They managed to pull Fister ashore and attempted CPR. Another member of the group ran across a large field to a home at 8005 Harrisburg Pike, where a resident dialed 911. After authorities arrived, the friends were taken to a Pleasant Township firehouse. The case remains under investigation. An autopsy is expected today. Even this late in the spring, the water in Big Darby Creek is too chilly for swimming.
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/05/21/drown.html
