Eddy, the "life saver"

Shuswap Lake can be a quiet calm lake with not a ripple and then without much warning a storm can move through with strong winds.  These weather systems can be very challenging for boaters, and the lake has been the scene of many deaths over the years. Weather is not always the cause of an accident and depending on the time of year the lake can be quite unforgiving.  A friend brought to my attention that the "quick actions" of my father, Eddy, had saved the lives of her husband's grandfather and uncle.  The story was told to the Salmon Arm Observer and took place in April of 1964.
The waters of the Shuswap are still very cold in April when the boat owned by Louie Rolin, 66, and son, "Lefty" Rolin, capsized while they were fishing in the Sunnybrae area.  They made the decision to stay with their boat rather than swim to shore however did not have their life jackets on.  They are quoted as stating "We learned the hard way it's best to put on a life jacket while your're still in the boat. It's just about impossible in the water."  Although my father was largely credited  for having saved their lives there were a number of people involved in the "rescue".  The first alert of trouble came from the Harms, who operated the Salmon Arm Resort.  They heard the shouts for help right across the lake and notified people in Sunnybrae that someone was in trouble on the lake.  The accident took place along the part of the road where the lake is clearly visible and my father saw the capsized boat. He realized that there were no boats close by that could mount a rescue and knew something had to be done quickly.  He remembered passing the Greaves in their boat up the road so immediately drove to their location and waved them down.  The Greaves were able to pull the two men to safety who by that time were, in the words of my father, "pretty well paralyzed".

Mr Rolin referred to my father as a "life saver" due to his quick thinking.  It is a wonderful story of neighbours coming together to save the lives of father and son and there have been been similar stories over the years on the Shuswap.

It is amazing how your life can be saved,
in so many different ways.
The quick actions of a neighbour, the deft cut from a surgeon.
Life is mysterious and precious,
all at once.
Oxygen is forced into us by complete strangers,
their mouth pressed to ours.
People will plow through flames, water, ice,
to rescue another.
The courage of the human spirit.
Even those who don't wish to live,
are pulled from death.
We can all be life savers.