Editor’s note: The following is our first guest column by Russ Spading, owner of Cars ‘R’ uss Auto Body Paint and Repair, Inc. and the Belle Plaine fire chief. It is an incredible first person account of an experience he had earlier this month.

by Russ Spading

My annual adventures at Lake Pepin began in 1983. Lake Pepin is a beautiful lake and is also part of the Mississippi River. It is 1 ½ miles wide and 10-15 miles long surrounded by breathtaking bluffs. Camp Lacupolis is a small fishing camp that draws fishermen from far and wide. I have gone with my buddies every year except for a couple years I talked my wife into going with me. Fishing has always been great for the most part. Some years are better than others, but there is no doubt that you’ll catch fish. I have learned a lot about that lake over the years. The more years of experience you have on a lake, the more knowledge you have to share. The most rewarding thing about knowing the lake is being able to teach others.

Our trip this year started on Sunday, June 7th around 6:30 am. Four vehicles and four boats headed north to Minnesota. When we first arrived we launched our boats, moved into the house we rented, and headed right out fishing.

The weather was cool and rainy. Fishing was below average. We caught fish but not as large as we were looking for. The walleyes were below the length limit. We stayed out until nightfall.

Monday morning we got up bright and early. The weather that morning was cold and rainy. I had brought a raincoat but no rain pants. A friend of mine gave me a full rain suit (rubber coveralls) to wear. I had on my jeans, T-shirt, hoodie, and the coveralls. There were seven guys and four boats. I had just gotten a new flat-bottom boat the year prior and was bringing it to Lake Pepin for the first time. I decided that morning to take it out alone and head across the lake to do a little fishing. I had no luck fishing and the cold had set in.

I headed across to Pepin City, beached my boat, and walked in town to get a hot cappuccino and some cookies. On my way back to the boat I noticed the beauty of the lake and thought of my wife. I called her to tell her good morning. It was around 11 am. I told her I had gone out alone that morning, and I was enjoying my time alone. I told her the weather was cold and rainy and described the coveralls my friend let me borrow. They were working quite well to keep the water off of me. I told my wife that I loved her and missed her. I recall her telling me she loved and missed me too.

When I got to the water, two of my friends were docking their boat. We visited for awhile. They were going into town and I was coming out. I went back out fishing and caught my limit of walleyes. I headed back across the lake to clean the fish.

I had my boat ¾ throttle. I had done this a million times. The lake wasn’t very rough, so I was making my usual trip. I hit a set of waves going in a different direction and it changed the direction of my boat. The speed of which I was going and the new direction the boat was being pulled, it launched me from the boat on the opposite side. It seemed like I was almost in slow motion as I was traveling through the air. I looked back at Pepin City. I looked down the river to Lacupolis and directly to my right was Maple Springs. No boats around. I knew I was in trouble. I thought about being only 46 years old and this was it. I knew I didn’t have a life jacket on because it was left in the boat, and with all of the clothes I had on, I knew I was going to drown. I was not scared to die. I said to the Lord, here I come. I was confident I had a place in heaven, but still did not understand. I just wasn’t finished.

Being a good swimmer, I knew to arch my back and my neck and when I shot in the water I shot right back out. When I came up the head to my depth finder was right in front of me. I had knocked it off when I was thrown from the boat. I tried to tread water, but I was too heavy. I had to dog paddle. That was nearly impossible. I had enough power to keep myself above the water to be able to look around. I knew I was out there all alone. Because of the weather there were few boats.

The boat was making a circle at half throttle turning to the right. The boat was probably 30-40 feet away. The waves coming from the boat made it very hard to swim. The sound of the boat was horrendous and simply would not stop. I knew it was a bad choice, but I had to try to grab the boat because I could feel myself sinking and running out of energy. I knew I couldn’t grab the front of the boat because if I missed, it would run me over or hit my head. So I tried for the spot where I sat. I made an attempt and had to retreat because my timing was off. On my second attempt I swam back in and grabbed the boat somewhere near where the driver sits. I was so heavy with the clothing I couldn’t hold on. The boat pulled away. When it pulled away the back of the motor and the prop hit my legs. The prop ended up cutting the rubber coveralls I had on but did not cut my leg. I was disappointed. What a waste of energy. Then I was so close to the boat that the wake from the boat was just thrashing me. It was all I could do to swim away.

By the time I got away from the boat, I was so low in the water that only my nose was above the water. If I tried to yell or get a breath through my mouth, I would swallow water. That’s when I realized that I wanted to end this fight, so I took a deep breath and gave up; only to sink a couple feet below the surface and then bob back up. I just wanted to spend my last moments thinking about my life and that is when my mind seemed to split. At this point my body was fighting to stay alive on one screen and my life was flashing in front of me on another.

Things were really flashing through my mind. I remember saying to the Lord, this doesn’t make sense to me, but if it’s your will, it’s okay. I remember my life seemed to be flashing in front of me in fast forward. I knew I was blessed in so many ways. In some way I wasn’t ready to leave this world. I saw my family, my children, my friends and the fire department. I thought about the youth group. Then I saw my wife. That was soooo powerful; the love that we share.

Then I felt the presence of the Lord. I could see Him reaching out to me. He was golden or in bright sunlight. I saw myself naked. I was holding something. I had my head down, and I was ashamed. What I was holding represented sin in my life. The sin was lying about an addiction I had to chewing tobacco. In some ways I was proud that that was the only thing I had to be ashamed of. But I realized by looking at the Lord He didn’t want me to carry the guilt and burden of that addiction any longer. He wanted me to give it to Him. He wanted me to let it go. At first I thought He was reaching out for me. He was actually reaching out to take the sin from my life.

In February of this year, my wife had a friend who had a message from the Lord for me. He told her that there was going to be change coming up in my life. He said that I needed to let go of things that were causing me distractions. I wasn’t giving 100 percent on certain things in my life. I needed to get focused and tell my wife about it. She came home that weekend and told me about the conversation. It didn’t make sense to us at the time, but now we see what God was talking about. First of all, I am completely changed by what has happened, and there definitely will be change in my life from this point on. The guilt from the sin was keeping me from being able to give 100 percent of myself to anything. I was hiding something that I wasn’t proud of. It was a distraction at times, and I hadn’t told my wife about it like I should have. She was aware that I had been struggling with it for as long as we had been together, almost 18 years, but I didn’t rely on her when I was struggling like I should have. I never lied to her when she would ask me about it, but I wouldn’t be the one to bring it up. I was hiding it from her and everybody, and that was wrong. I believe that God has taken that sin away from my life for good.

While all of these things were going on, I tried to back float. It wouldn’t work. I could only back float just under the surface. I made an attempt on the zipper on my coat because I knew rescue swimming techniques. If I got the coveralls off, I was going to make a balloon out of them. I was so out of power. The zipper seemed to be stuck. By the time I got my zipper down to my waist, I was several feet under the surface. It was all I could do to get back to the surface to get a breath of air. When I came up I was hit by a wave, sucked in water, and realized that the reason I couldn’t back float was because my stomach was so full of water. So the next time I bobbed up, I regurgitated the water in my stomach. The next time I come up I cleared water from my lungs and my throat. I went down again and realized I could regurgitate the water while under the water.

The next time up there were no waves, and I got a deep breath of air. At that point, I seemed to be bobbing right at the surface with my head pitched clear back and just my mouth above the water, but I still felt like I was sinking. I remember just laying back and told the Lord that it was up to Him. I was done trying. I couldn’t try any longer. I either passed out or fell asleep, and I woke up. There was a good friend reaching out for me, but it wasn’t a friend that was with me on this trip. We will name this friend “My Hero.”

My Hero and I first met on a fishing trip to Arkansas back in March of 2005. I would drive down south to meet up with a good friend that had been fishing in Arkansas for many years. My friend asked if I would bring his friend, My Hero, with me on that trip. He lived close by in another town and was on break from college. That sounded great to me and My Hero’s mom brought him that morning, and we headed south to Arkansas. That was the first time My Hero and I met.

The way it worked out, My Hero and I were going to fish together for the week in my boat. We had lots of fun fishing together. It was hilarious. One morning we were trolling across the lake and I heard something behind me, so I turned to check my poles. As I was turned around, I heard a loud thud. My Hero had lost consciousness, hit the side of the boat with his cheek, fell face first in the bottom of the boat, and was no longer breathing.

I had just finished CPR recertification for the fire department three days prior. Thanks to my good friend I had went down to fish with who insists we have marine radios in the boat, I called him, told him My Hero was down and I was going to start CPR and to hurry. While help was on the way on land and by water, I shook My Hero a little bit, called his name, he took one deep breath and woke up. He was as white as a sheet. He got in the truck with his dad and was taken to the hospital. I was honored to have been there for My Hero, but when I saw him reaching out for me when I was drowning, I knew immediately that the Lord sent him.

I reached for his hand and he held me up until I could rest long enough to get to the ladder in the rear of the boat. He radioed some other boats for help to try to recover my boat which was still spinning in circles. Several boats showed up. One of my good friends who was with me on the trip got in the boat with My Hero and I, and they took me back to camp. I was very, very weak. I could sit up but felt best to slump over. I was shaking, crying, and simply whipped. I felt so weak.

When we got to Camp Lacupolis he pulled into the dock. I remember them helping me out of the boat. I was so weak but I could stand with some help. My friend on the trip got my sweatshirt, rain suit, and shoes off. I remember when we got across the dock and up the steps it turned to gravel. He told me, “If the rocks hurt your feet, I’ll carry you.” I was overwhelmed by his kindness. We had been friends since grade school. He helped me to the truck and took me to the cabin. He warmed up the shower for me. The shower was awesome. I stood in the shower for a real long time crying off and on realizing I had just met the Lord. The shower was a good way to regain my thoughts.

By the time I was dressed the rest of the guys were back from retrieving my boat. That was quite exciting. I was thankful to have such good friends.

It was around 4:45 when I got a hold of my wife. I told her that when we had talked earlier that morning, that was almost the last time we ever got to talk. We had an emotional conversation as I told her all about my experience. She, of course, was shaken up. The only thing she could see in her mind was me in the water. I told her not to be sad. I told her that it was a blessing. My trip was to last until the next Sunday which was six more days. We agreed to both drive half way on Wednesday so we could see each other and do more talking. We were both anxious to see each other, and we looked at each other like we had never done before.

The facts alone are enough for anyone to see that this is a miracle. The fact that I survived with all those clothes on. The fact that the motor hit me, tore my pants and didn’t cut my leg. The fact that My Hero was the one that saved me. The fact that I was there for My Hero a few years ago. The fact that I tried to drown myself but couldn’t.

The day before I left on our trip, a pastor from Waterloo called and wanted his car worked on. He delivered it to my shop, and we talked about fishing. I was so impressed with all the places he had been on fishing trips. I gave him a ride to meet his wife and during our drive he told me that he would pray for a good trip. The last thing that he said when I dropped him off was that he was going to pray that at least one person in my group would come to know the Lord that week.

I didn’t see My Hero or talk with him until two days after the event. I had wanted to go fishing with him but he had already gone home. I told him that I loved him and thanked him for saving my life.

I know what I know. God is real. God loves us. God hears us. God sends help. God forgives sin. God is good all the time. So what do you think about that?

June 15, 7:25 p.m. – A bike was reported stolen at 1212 15^th Street.

June 15, 11:45 p.m. – Fireworks were reportedly being set off at the city parking lot.

June 16, 8:40 a.m. – Gro Alliance reported a burglary. More than $300 was taken from an office. Point of entry is uncertain and the incident remains under investigation.

June 16, 11:45 a.m. – Residents at 1003 Seventh Ave. reported their front yard was damaged by an unknown vehicle.

June 16, 5:25 p.m. – Criminal mischief was reported at one of the well pump houses north of the city, where a window was broken and two doors had been struck by a firearm. The incident remains under investigation.

June 16, 5:32 p.m. – Illegal burning was reported at 505 Sixth Street. Subjects in the area were warned.

June 17, 1:40 p.m. – David Allen, Belle Plaine, was arrested at 608 Sixth Ave. on a local warrant for violation of the pseudo-ephedrine prescription law. He was transported to the Iowa County Jail.

June 17, 3:57 p.m. – A burglary was reported at the concession stand at the high school softball field, where a large amount of food and beverages were taken. The incident remains under investigation.

June 17, 6:22 p.m. – Vehicle unlock at Casey’s.

June 17, 6:35 p.m. – Officers responded to the area of the 900 block of Sixth Ave. on a reckless driving complaint. No vehicle was located.

June 17, 7:10 p.m. – Lyle John Hamilton, 66, Belle Plaine, was charged with OWI first offense in the 500 block of Eighth Street after he was stopped for a seatbelt violation. He was transported to the Iowa County Jail.

June 17, 9:28 p.m. – Officers responded to Franklin Park on a report of a suspicious smell. It was determined that the smell came from a sewer in the area.

June 17, 9:48 p.m. – Ambulance assist in the 700 block of 17^th Street.

June 18, 5:45 p.m. – Officers were called to the north bridge on Highway 21 south of the city on a report of a suspicious person. It was determined that the person was fishing in the area.

June 18, 6:55 p.m. – Gun shots were reported on DNR property south of the city. Officers determined a person was teaching subjects how to shoot. All was okay.

June 19, midnight – Officers responded to Highway 21 north near the Countryside Veterinary Clinic when a motorists reported her car had run over some debris in the roadway. It was determined that aluminum gates had fallen on the road and they were removed.

June 19, 12:31 a.m. – Two dogs were reported to be running loose near the Pizza Hut. Police were unable to locate them.

June 19, 1:35 a.m. – Fireworks were reportedly being discharged in the 900 block of 18^th Street. Officers were unable to locate the source of the fireworks.

June 20, 12:02 a.m. – Merle William Bear, 37, of Tama was detained in the 700 block of 12^th Street when he was stopped for having no license plates on his vehicle. He was taken to the hospital in Marengo for blood testing on suspicion of OWI-third offense. Charges are pending.

June 20, 11:10 p.m. – A domestic dispute at 210 Seventh Ave. remains under investigation.

June 21, 12:55 a.m. – A sexual abuse complaint was referred to the Benton County Sheriff’s office after it was determined that the alleged incident occurred out in the county.

The first full week of summer started with threatening storm clouds and heavy rain Sunday night in the area and a visit by more than 50 vintage military vehicles Monday morning.

Trained weather spotters were called out late Sunday afternoon after the National Weather Service detected possible tornadoes near Belle Plaine. The spotters did observe several small funnel clouds north and south of the city and at least one touch down northwest of the city. Later, the area was hit with a brief heavy rain storm, with one estimate of more than 2.5 inches of rain falling in an hour.

On Monday morning, a convoy of vintage and modern military vehicles stopped in the city as a part of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association’s convoy from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, CA. More than 75 military and support vehicles were slated to travel 156 miles from Cedar Rapids to Jefferson on a leg of their 26-day, 3,200 mile journey along the original route of the Lincoln Highway.

The rest of the week should be a busy one as residents try to cope with the first real warm spell of the year as they participate in a variety of activities.

On Tuesday, a representative from Congressman Leonard Boswell’s office will be at City Hall from 11 a.m. to noon to answer questions from constituents. The Belle Plaine Library Board meets at 5 p.m.

Wednesday, the Belle Plaine Partners for Beautification meets at 6 p.m. at the community center.

Friday, Music on Main will feature bluegrass music, beginning at 6 p.m. in front of the museum.

On Saturday, a reception will be held for Henry and Patricia Tippie at the museum at 2 p.m.

The local sports slate is also a busy one this week, as the Belle Plaine girls’ softball squad will be home for four days this week. Tonight (Monday) they host Tri-County. Tuesday, Iowa Valley comes to town. On Wednesday, HLV makes the trip north to the Plainsman diamond and on Friday, Belle Plaine hosts North Mahaska. On Saturday, the Plainsmen travel to the Pekin Tournament.

The Plainsman baseball squad hits the road for a trio of games this week. They will be at Tri-County tonight, Iowa Valley for a 5 p.m. contest on Tuesday and HLV on Wednesday before returning home to host North Mahaska on Friday.

The ball park at Franklin Park will be busy Sunday afternoon, as the Belle Plaine Men’s Softball League plays eight games, starting at noon. The concession stand will be open and spectators are welcome.

Last Sunday’s slate of action in the Belle Plaine Men’s Softball League was postponed. Commissioner Evan Hrabak announced that there will be eight games this Sunday, beginning at noon at Franklin Park. Spectators are welcome and the concession stand will be open.

Lorena Mae Wauters, 86, of rural Elberon, died Sunday, June 21, 2009 in her home following a sudden illness.  Services were 10 a.m. Friday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Belle Plaine by Rev. Mike Mescher.  Burial will be in National Cemetery, Vining.  Visitation were 5 – 8 p.m. Thursday at the Hrabak Funeral Home in Belle Plaine where there was a Vigil Service at 7 p.m.

She is survived by daughters, Kathleen Wauters of Chicago and Linda Wauters (Robin) Roberts of Minneapolis; son, Dennis of Elberon; granddaughters, Alana Wauters of Portland, OR and Justina Roberts of Minneapolis.

Lorena Mae Wauters, age 86, of Elberon, IA, was born on May 15, 1923 in rural Richland Township, Tama County.  She was the daughter of Goburn Lee Davis and Dessie Mae Rich Davis.  Lorena died on June 21, 2009 at her rural home in Elberon.

She received her teaching certificate from Iowa State Teacher’s College, Cedar Falls, and was a teacher at Lone Oak School Number 3 and at Otter Creek in Tama County.  She was a receptionist at Penick and Ford in Cedar Rapids.  She loved antiques, bird watching, and flowers.

She was united in marriage to Leonard Remi Wauters on April 7, 1947 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Belle Plaine.

Lorena is preceded in death by her husband Leonard in 1974; her parents; her three brothers, Leonard Davis, Donald Davis, and Richard Davis; and her two sisters, Wilma Davis and Florence Davis.