On the morning of Feb. 3, 42-year-old Edward L. Sako of Hammond, Ind., died as a result of a single boat accident on Turtle Creek Reservoir. The boat overturned about 200 yards north of the boat ramp at approximately 6:45 a.m. Sako was found floating face down in the water near the overturned boat.

A second man who was a passenger in the boat, Jeff Corning, 47, of Lake Village, Ind., was found alive in the water. He was rescued and taken to the Hoosier Energy hunting check station and later transferred to Sullivan County Community Hospital for treatment of mild hypothermia.

Sako and Corning left the boat ramp en route to an area on the lake to hunt geese. Several other parties of goose hunters were waiting for daylight and for conditions to improve, to boat to their hunting areas.

One party had previously launched their boat and set out on the lake in the near zero temperature, but returned because of large waves created by the high winds that morning.

Sako and Corning launched their boat in the darkness and headed out onto the lake. Shortly after they set out, other hunters at the check station heard the men yelling for help over the high winds.
Indiana Conservation officers Deland Szczepanski and Jay Baker were off-duty and planning to hunt on the lake that morning. They got into a boat with Mark Wallace of Corydon, Ind., to search for the men. They found Corning holding onto the motor of the capsized boat and immediately took him back to the Hoosier Energy check station to get him dry and warm.

Szczepanski went back out in a second boat with Bill Poe of Vincennes, Ind., and Tom Weidner of Bridgeport, Ill., and found Sako floating face down in the water near the overturned boat. He was taken by the SCAT 2 ambulance to the Sullivan County Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy was to be performed by Forensic Pathologist/Vigo County Coroner Roland Kohr at Regional Hospital in Terre Haute yesterday. Neither of the men were wearing a lifejacket. Indiana Conservation Officer Tom Lahay is investigating the boating accident.

Winter tree ID and botany workshop set for Feb. 28

Don’t know a poplar from pine? No problem, for outdoor lovers attending the free Winter Tree ID and Botany Workshop on Feb. 28 at 9 a.m.

Presenters for the program include: Dan Shaver of The Nature Conservancy; Dan McGuckin, director, Habitat Solutions; and Jim Eagleman, interpretive naturalist.

The program will conclude by noon and light refreshments will be provided. It is sponsored by the Brown County Native Woodlands Project and will be held at Brown County State Park Nature Center.
The first portion of the program will be inside, but attendees are urged to dress for an outside session later in the morning. Pre-registration is required and there is a limit of 40 participants because of room size.

RSVP to Julie at 812-988-0246, or by e-mail to jkempf@tnc.org

Winter closes Lincoln and O’Bannon state parks

Severe winter weather has caused the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to close Lincoln and O’Bannon state parks for the next couple of weeks, or until the weather moderates.
Many roads are impassable because of snow, ice and fallen trees. Trees remain ice-coated, heavy and too dangerous to cut until warmer temperatures arrive.

All other state parks and reservoirs are running under normal winter operation hours. For more information on what Indiana’s state parks and reservoirs offer, see www.in.gov/dnr/parklake

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.