# Duck Hunting Drowning



## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Man says others can learn from drowning
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Missoulian

A friend of the Stevensville man who drowned while duck hunting on the Bitterroot River on Sunday hopes the tragedy will prompt hunters to take better heed of their safety.

"If any duck hunter will just read this and take notice, it could save lives," said Ron Pence, who tried to rescue his friend from the brisk water. "He was an experienced hunter and knew what he was doing. It just happened, and it could happen to anyone."

Greg Mewes, 47, died while hunting with Pence and two other friends on New Year's Day.

"We got up early because we don't drink and thought we'd be the only ones on the river," Pence said. "It was a beautiful, sunny morning, but it ruined the duck hunting. There was nothing flying, so we thought we'd go to a different hole or go home."

When the accident occurred, the four men were wading across a section of the Bitterroot near the Miller Creek drainage, an area characterized by rolling depths and fast water, Pence said.

As the men crossed, the water depth varied, ranging from crotch-deep to chest-deep.

Pence was crossing the river ahead of Mewes when he heard the man shout. He turned as Mewes disappeared beneath the water, then resurfaced momentarily before going back under.

Mewes was carrying a mesh bag with duck decoys and another backpack stuffed inside, items which became waterlogged in the course of the morning.

"The water just kept hitting the bag and dragging him back under," Pence said. "When he came back up, he was conscious but not in control."

From the opposite bank, Pence yelled at his friend to drop the bag, which has an emergency release clip.

But Mewes was face down kicking his legs as the current dragged him away.

Wearing waders, Pence sprinted along the riverbank to get ahead of his friend, then unclipped his own bag and dove into the frigid water.

When Pence intercepted Mewes, about 100 yards downstream and in the middle of the river, his kicking had stopped and he wasn't breathing.

"When I flipped him, I knew right then that all the life had gone out of him," Pence said. "I swam him to the other bank against the current."

The other hunting partners had called 9-1-1 from their vehicles, which were parked near the weigh station.

Pence pulled Mewes onto the riverbank and administered CPR alone until one of the friends joined him, working in tandem until the emergency crew arrived.

By that time, Pence said, he was cramping up from hypothermia and struggled to carry on with the CPR.

Members of the emergency crew finally managed to get a small pulse. They tried to maintain the heartbeat with a series of electroshocks, but it soon faded.

"That gave me some brief hope," Pence said. "But he had died by the time I got to the hospital."

A Life Flight helicopter transported Mewes to St. Patrick Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"He was my best friend, my hunting partner and my in-law," Pence said. "The river was just too fast and too deep, and I couldn't save him."


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## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

Thats horrible news, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family. :eyeroll:


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Bad deal. Why does it take a tragedy to remind us of the small things to keep us safe. I'm guilty. :-?


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

thats a sad story something like that happened to my dad's friends dog but they saved him....


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## 94silverado (Oct 16, 2005)

Thats sad and it does take something like that to remind us of all the dangers in hunting or anything for that matter when you think nah the gun ain't loaded check it anyway you never know. It took a car accident around here to make me realize to wear my seat belt. It is terrible that happened and my prayers go out to him.


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## honkbuster3 (Jan 11, 2006)

That is sad news i have fallen in many water and i CAN SEE how that would happen After I fell in the wate rfor about the 3rd time it got me to be more careful :eyeroll:


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