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View Full Version : hiker dies at low gap yesterday



mweinstone
02-17-2011, 18:23
name was lefty. heart attack. resque squad got him out in an hour and a half.

johnnybgood
02-17-2011, 18:27
Sad news . My condolences to family and friends.

Spokes
02-17-2011, 18:29
you have to name your sources matty........

Namaste
02-17-2011, 18:33
So sorry to hear about that. There seem to be more incidents of heart attacks than any animal attacks on the AT lately :(.

northernstorm
02-17-2011, 18:37
how old was he?

mweinstone
02-17-2011, 20:11
pirate posted on facebook.

4eyedbuzzard
02-17-2011, 20:15
RIP lefty.

Mrs Baggins
02-17-2011, 20:51
Ron Haven posted it on FB as well but very few details, just that it was Low Gap and the man's trail name was Lefty.

Blissful
02-17-2011, 21:00
It was on Facebook yesterday via Pirate. He said the man and his daughter had stayed at the hostel a few days before. Sad.

Slo-go'en
02-17-2011, 22:27
Started a thru-hike out of shape and over weight? Of course, that's just a guess, but a likely one...

Sly
02-17-2011, 23:21
Started a thru-hike out of shape and over weight? Of course, that's just a guess, but a likely one...

Perhaps, but he could have died at work, driving home or sitting watching TV. It appears he was living his dream. May he RIP.

Rain Man
02-18-2011, 00:17
RIP. Am glad he was doing something he must have loved. Condolences to his family and friends.

Rain Man

.

Turtle Feet
02-18-2011, 00:25
damn! My sympathies to his family.... how heartbreaking.

walrus5757
02-18-2011, 00:37
RIP So sad...

GeneralLee10
02-18-2011, 05:46
Sorry to hear the news. RIP fellow hiker

LoneRidgeRunner
02-18-2011, 07:44
Started a thru-hike out of shape and over weight? Of course, that's just a guess, but a likely one...

You don't have to be overweight and / or out of shape to have a heart attack..RIP Lefty

MedicineMan
02-18-2011, 08:01
If I could die on my choosing it'd be on the trail.

ekeverette
02-18-2011, 08:27
me to medicine man. rather out there than in a hospital.

Doc Mike
02-18-2011, 09:02
Other than being shot by a jealous husband at 110 this would be my second way to go. Here's to hoping he is hiking the best trails of all now.

Old Hiker
02-18-2011, 09:33
Prayers and condolences to the family.

wornoutboots
02-18-2011, 09:43
Prayers for the family & friends!

mweinstone
02-18-2011, 09:50
if any of leftys friends want to come to the winter warmer for some comfort about hikerdom, rm 23 will be available to you.call me 215 668 0898. i feel your loss.

Freedom Walker
02-18-2011, 11:55
When you read of young athletes collapsing on the practice field or in the game of apparent heart attacks, one knows that it can happen to even fit people. True as we age we need to listen to our body but I will say this. Over the past year my wife and I have been moving her 90 year old mother in and out of hospitals, assisted living, and nursing homes. I know that I really don’t have a choice in the end, but after seeing what it’s like for those in the homes, I can say that I would rather burn out, than rust out. So if someone posts here that someone who goes by Freedom Walker is found dead somewhere on the AT of some other trail, you can know I went the way wanted to. The only thing better would be if all my family was with me.

scope
02-18-2011, 12:00
if any of leftys friends want to come to the winter warmer for some comfort about hikerdom, rm 23 will be available to you.call me 215 668 0898. i feel your loss.

He's serious, look, no spelling errors/issues. :cool:

Jim Adams
02-18-2011, 14:56
Sad to hear...RIP.

geek

harryfred
02-18-2011, 21:18
When you read of young athletes collapsing on the practice field or in the game of apparent heart attacks, one knows that it can happen to even fit people. True as we age we need to listen to our body but I will say this. Over the past year my wife and I have been moving her 90 year old mother in and out of hospitals, assisted living, and nursing homes. I know that I really don’t have a choice in the end, but after seeing what it’s like for those in the homes, I can say that I would rather burn out, than rust out. So if someone posts here that someone who goes by Freedom Walker is found dead somewhere on the AT of some other trail, you can know I went the way wanted to. The only thing better would be if all my family was with me.
Could not say it better. Sad for the family , but hopefully there is comfort in knowing their loved one went home dong something he loved.

HiKen2011
02-18-2011, 21:34
RIP my friend.........

Papa D
02-18-2011, 22:56
man - that sucks - yes, probably overweight and under-prepared, but at least he was out there trying -maybe he's on a nice trail somewhere now - condolences to his family ........

peenut
02-19-2011, 10:33
I would much rather go doing something I love. He was living it up IMO!

yari
02-19-2011, 11:00
Started a thru-hike out of shape and over weight? Of course, that's just a guess, but a likely one...

And so? Even if it is true, although there is nothing posted here that supports it, what exactly is your point?

How traumatic for his daughter, I feel for her. All the best to his family in their sadness.

Mrs Baggins
02-19-2011, 11:28
My husband often says that if he doesn't get to hike more he's going to die of a heart attack at his desk. Seems, hiking or working, the risk is there. All you can do is live your life and not keep looking over your shoulder for the guy with the big black scythe.

Wise Old Owl
02-19-2011, 11:30
He's serious, look, no spelling errors/issues. :cool:

You noticed that too? I'm trying to figure out what a winter warmer is.

Must be the Doyle.


Sorry to hear the loss of Lefty, I tried to see if there was an article, but its too early yet.

Blissful
02-19-2011, 11:30
You don't have to be overweight and / or out of shape to have a heart attack..RIP Lefty


Agree. My dh's uncle was very thin and in good shape. Died vacuuming a rug.

Blissful
02-19-2011, 11:32
All you can do is live your life and not keep looking over your shoulder for the guy with the big black scythe.

Or with angel's wings, which is a much better scenario. :) I wrote about it on my blog, but just seeing what heaven looked like from a mountaintop yesterday I knew everything would be ok when its my time.

:sun

Mrs Baggins
02-19-2011, 12:23
Agree. My dh's uncle was very thin and in good shape. Died vacuuming a rug.

Yep, the mom of a friend of mine is tiny like a bird, eats healthy, walks several miles every day at a fast pace, and had a heart attack a few years ago.

Rakkasan
02-19-2011, 22:56
I had the pleasure of meeting with Lefty and Doc (Lefty's daughter) at Gooch and stayed with them at Pirate's Hostel. Lefty was a great American and a great father. He was not overweight and seemed to be in pretty good shape. Doc, if you read this, I hope you will finish the Trail to honor your father. I know he would want you to make it to Katahdin.

mweinstone
02-19-2011, 23:04
speechlessly sad for his friends and family. would like to know more about lefty.

heron2000
02-22-2011, 10:55
my friend and i met a father and daughter on the west side of blood mountain - they had a dog with them. he had way to much gear and was going to stay at neals gap and send a bunch of stuff home. he told us his pack was 45 lbs. after neals gap they were just going to stay in shelters the rest of the way. it's a shame - what would have been a father daughter summer to remember will be a summer to remember but for the wrong reason.

d.o.c
02-22-2011, 11:08
very sad sobering in fact best wishs to his family and freinds. and to his daughter he will be there evry step of the way with his hand on your sholder

mweinstone
02-22-2011, 11:18
i pray the daughter can soak up a little love from this hiker community as were pritty mushy when needed. lota us carry the memorys of all who have perished on the trail without haveing known them because the trail is as sacred as a persons last moments and together make a memory lasting and vivid. matthewski reaches over and tugs at dinos tail trying to lift it around daughter....needs dino to wake so she can curl her special curls of tail around folks who need it.

wrongway_08
02-22-2011, 11:55
Some have no choice - our family has a history of us guys falling out due to heart problems - nothing we can do about it. I will most likely die of one also - Hope it is out on the trail or doing something I love like Lefty did.

Lets not have anymore of the "he was over weight or outta shape" stuff. Be respectful to his family and our fellow hiker family member.

Prayers to his family. Like it has been said before, glad he died doing something he loved and with family there.

WalkingUSA
02-22-2011, 12:19
One can be in perfect health and perfect weight and still have a sudden heart attack.

Omega Man
02-22-2011, 12:22
Condolences to family and friends. I tip my cap to anyone who passes while out there, "gettin' it done."

Speakeasy TN
03-03-2011, 20:57
Does anybody know if Doc got back out there?

AndyBees
03-03-2011, 23:49
One can be in perfect health and perfect weight and still have a sudden heart attack.

Yep, but an autopsy will reveal that the appearance of perfect health was deceiving!

RIP Lefty!

TIDE-HSV
03-04-2011, 02:48
Yep, but an autopsy will reveal that the appearance of perfect health was deceiving!

RIP Lefty!

Not always true. About 25% of MIs are not explainable, even on autopsy...

HoneyBear
03-04-2011, 07:16
A friend was there 2 days after in happened and ran into "Tiny" a Belgian hiker on a 90 day visa who was at Low Gap that night. He says "Lefty" woke up in the middle of the night coughing very loudly and went into cardiac arrest. His daughter is a veterinarian and began CPR while Tiny ran to the top of a mountain where he could get a signal and dialed 911. 1 1/2 hours later paramedics arrived but it was too late. A good response time all thing considered. Lefty's daughter was understandably devastated. I believe Lefty was 60 or 62 and his daughter is 29. A very sad story.