Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bicyclist's screams ignored
indpls/star ^ | 051602

Posted on 05/16/2002 1:00:36 PM PDT by InvisibleChurch

Bicyclist's screams ignored

SANDPOINT, Idaho -- A bicyclist who fell off a pedestrian bridge clung to its girder and yelled for five hours before he was rescued -- ignored by two boys who walked away laughing, police said.

Christopher Blair apparently tipped over a guardrail on an unlit bridge over Lake Pend Oreille at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

The cyclist managed to scramble to safety on the bridge's concrete piling, and then climbed onto support beams 12 feet above water, where he began to scream for help.

"He said that he had been yelling for help all night and had even been located by two juvenile boys, but they would not help him," Sheriff's Deputy Ben Sterling said in a report filed Tuesday.

A nearby resident finally heard Blair's screams at 2:20 a.m. Sunday. A search by flashlight found Blair perched on the beams, suffering from early signs of hypothermia.

"I could see that he was trembling, he was wet, and he had a very red nose," Sterling said.

Rescuers lowered Blair by basket into a rescue raft and took him to Bonner General Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries and released.

not for commercial use


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Idaho
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last
To: 68 grunt
Well I like a woman I can look up to.
61 posted on 05/16/2002 2:46:27 PM PDT by justshutupandtakeit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: justshutupandtakeit
Yeah, if you're under 5'7....... ;o)
62 posted on 05/16/2002 2:50:28 PM PDT by Barbie Doll
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: ActionNewsBill
Hey bill- I'm 6'3" and 220 at age 50. I slice and dice trees to heat my home for my exercise.

When I ride a bike I wear normal clothes and not the nanny-state uniform the bed-wetting libbos don.

Go stuff your silly compassion in a bike girdle.

63 posted on 05/16/2002 2:53:06 PM PDT by Atomic Vomit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: crystalk
(It was a) poor attempt at humor

I wasn't joking.
64 posted on 05/16/2002 2:54:34 PM PDT by balrog666
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill
Would this be the long bridge coming into town from the south on I95? I could see falling off that one, and there aren't a whole lot of neighbors.

Of course, if he had a "I Love California" sticker on his helmet he'd be lucky the locals didn't shoot him...

I suspect that that's the very bridge. LOL

65 posted on 05/16/2002 2:56:53 PM PDT by Jefferson Adams
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 68 grunt
If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall.

If barbie were life sized, she'd be 5' 6" and measure 30-18-26. There's no need to bow up her hieght to such a ridiculous level. The waist is a little too thin, but feminists like to "scale her up" to 7 foot plus because the bust number gets them more attention that way.

66 posted on 05/16/2002 2:56:53 PM PDT by the bottle let me down
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: ActionNewsBill
By the way, "grammer" should be spelled "grammar".

ROFL

67 posted on 05/16/2002 3:00:03 PM PDT by Jefferson Adams
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Veggie Todd;Barbie Doll
Racy picture of Barbie Doll: ;-)
68 posted on 05/16/2002 3:00:08 PM PDT by StriperSniper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Joe Boucher
I hope lots of motorists hit huge puddles as they passed the spandexed whitehead.

Men in bike shorts are a truly unattractive sight.

"Beautify Boca Raton- ban spandex"!

69 posted on 05/16/2002 3:02:12 PM PDT by Atomic Vomit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Tacis
Arrogant bicyclists? Bicycles are entitled to their right of way, just as motorcyclists are. In many states you have to give bicyclists 3' berth.

...and before you yap something idiotic back, I'm a motorcyclist. I used to be a cyclist, until some dumb broad hit me broadside with her car. It was her fault, as I had right of way. Put an end to my cycling career and my knees.

70 posted on 05/16/2002 3:05:56 PM PDT by dinodino
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz
Well, Laz, I wouldn't have jumped... 12 feet is a long ways in the dark... and who knows what is down there, or what the bank is like getting back out!

Is the water 2 feet deep or 20? - is it rocky or sandy? - is there any light at all to see where you are going clambering back out?

People are awfully quick to laugh at this guy's situation (it is easy from the comfort of our keyboards - I did it too).. I don't know how much of an idiot he was for riding off the bridge in the first place, but still... We all have a few moments in life where we are not our best. I would have helped him out, but I am sure all but the biggest butt-heads would have too.

71 posted on 05/16/2002 3:06:11 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: the bottle let me down;68 grunt
Both of you have measurement calculations for Barbie handy? hehehehe
72 posted on 05/16/2002 3:07:56 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: Metal4Ever
{sarchasm} It's spelled "sarcasm", mr. heavy metal. you should have checked, head-banger.

As far as the rules of the road go, one should not check their common sense before entering such a domain. Cars and trucks can hurt bicyclists somewhat more than bicyclists can injure cars and trucks.

Bicyclists who ignore this physical fact do so at their peril.

I operate a 210' ship. There are many, many times I've had the right of way over a 1000', 25 kt. container ships during crossing situations at sea.

I wisely chose to give way as he had the true "Right of Weigh".

73 posted on 05/16/2002 3:13:31 PM PDT by Atomic Vomit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Jefferson Adams
I see the grammar police are out in full force.
74 posted on 05/16/2002 3:14:34 PM PDT by Barbie Doll
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz
The next time the air is cold enough to give someone hypothermia, I want you to go to the nearest bridge and look down into the water. I want you to think about the possible consequences of jumping in and swimming to shore where you might find a place to get out of the water.

My friend lives up near that area in Libby Montana and they were driving through the snow a couple of days ago. The spring runoff is starting. Please think about it.

75 posted on 05/16/2002 3:15:57 PM PDT by Shooter 2.5
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Khurkris;ActionNewsBill
If ya can't laugh at yerself you're missing 1/2 of the fun.

Or on this thread, all the fun...

76 posted on 05/16/2002 3:16:48 PM PDT by null and void
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz
...and when anyone honked at their road-hogging style, they would grant the person a peek at the National Bird.

I mean, this is just rude, inexcusible behavior. They are counting on people not to get pissed and just smack 'em off the road. There were sidewalks there, they were just being pr**ks.

I....I....I live outside of Durango, CO...the "Mountain Bike Capitol of the World"...If they stayed "in the mountains" I would have no problem...I...I...I can't type what I want to type.

FMCDH!

77 posted on 05/16/2002 3:23:33 PM PDT by nothingnew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: InvisibleChurch
Why was he riding his bike on a pedestrian bridge?

I used to ride a bicycle everywhere some years ago. Things were different then. You didn't assume that cars would move over for you, and you did everything possible to stay alive.

The current breed of bicyclists are certainly different.

Just the other day, I was heading home up the two-mile, one-lane gravel road that leads to the road where I live. Naturally, two city people were riding their bicycles downhill. I slowed to about 10 mph and stayed as far to the right as I could in my full-size pickup. Apparently, I was supposed to just drive off the side of the mountain to accomodate these bicylists, because the woman rider yelled something at me as she passed.

I once saw a bicyclist stop at a stop sign, but it is indeed a very rare occurance.

In my neck of the woods, coming around a sharp turn and encountering bicyclists riding 2 or 3 abreast is unfortunatly not a rare occurance. I feel safer driving when the weather is poor, because I know there are not likely to be any bicylists riding on the roads.

I don't understand the mentality of today's bicyclists. I prefer staying alive to making sure that anyone driving a motor vehicle "knows and respects my rights." It's just crazy.

78 posted on 05/16/2002 3:37:48 PM PDT by B Knotts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill
Could this have been the same bridge from which it has been alleged that two ecoterrorists were terminally hung by irate loggers when the pair were caught spiking trees in an attempt to cause serious harm or death to loggers? If so, the bridge may be a shrine to loggers and a warning to ecoterrorists. Tree spiking was said to have stopped in the area.
79 posted on 05/16/2002 3:46:14 PM PDT by Paulus Invictus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Barbie Doll; Veggie Todd; the bottle let me down; 68 grunt
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

I had just checked my E Mail and someone sent me that with some other trivia.

80 posted on 05/16/2002 3:54:21 PM PDT by Shooter 2.5
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson