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GARDEN CITY, Rich County — Despite saving three people in a brave series of acts, rescuers from Monday’s tragedy in Bear Lake can’t help but wish they could have done more.
Just before the incident, one that claimed the lives of three children and a doctor during a severe storm, local resident Brian Hirschi was working on his dock when he noticed search teams rushing onto the water.
“I knew something was happening,” Hirschi said. “And I thought, ‘I got to go to that spot.’ I just had a strong feeling that’s where I needed to go and luckily that happened to be the right spot this time.”
Hirschi, along with his cousin — a member of Rich County’s search and rescue team — located the capsized boaters using binoculars, and guided rescue boats to their location. Hirschi went out on his own boat to assist.
“We want the families to know we care for them and we tried to do the search and rescue as if it were our own family members,” he said.
But despite their best efforts and the successful rescue of part of the group, the tragedy seemed unavoidable. It looks as though the capsized family did everything right, from wearing life jackets to remaining with the boat after it flipped to aid rescue efforts. But with waves between 6 and 8 feet, there was only so much rescuers could do.
It didn’t stop them from wishing more had been possible.
“You always think about those ‘what-ifs,’” said Joey Stocking, another member of the Rich County search and rescue team. “What if I got to my spotting spot 10 minutes earlier and got people there faster, you know? You kind of think about those things. But I’ve also heard it the other way — if we would have been there 10 minutes later, probably none of them would have survived.”
A candlelight vigil was held and attended by hundreds in Ogden Saturday night for the victims of the tragedy and their families. Stories were told in remembrance of loved ones, and well-wishes were sent along to those who survived and remain under medical care.
