Ducks Hunters Survive “Severe Hypothermia” by Setting Their Cooler on Fire

Texas Game Wardens reported on January 19th that they were called the week prior to Bois D'Arc Lake to look for two hunters who had been reported missing. The men had been hunting the North Texas lake for the past two days, but their wives became concerned after not hearing from them after the sun had set.

They contacted authorities, who launched a search effort. Night temperatures in the area dipped to 30°F the week of January 12th, so search crews knew that time was of the essence, especially if the hunters had gotten wet.

As it turned out, that’s exactly what happened. The hunter’s mud boat had struck a tree and sunk, leaving the hunters stranded in about 15 feet of water with most of their gear at the bottom of the lake. Bois D’Arc Lake is a newly filled reservoir in North Texas, and it’s filled with submerged trees and stumps.

With darkness falling and temperatures already low, wardens called in the Texas Department of Public Safety Aviation, the Fannin County Sheriff's Office, and North Texas Municipal Water District staff to help with the search.

For their part, the hunters remained calm, even though they had no way of knowing whether anyone was looking for them. They knew they couldn’t make it to shore, so they swam to nearby trees and used them to stay as far out of the water as possible. They also used wood from those trees, duck decoys, and most of their gear to create a fire in their cooler.

Texas Game Wardens originally reported that it was a Yeti cooler, but one of the hunter’s wives later confirmed it was a K2 cooler. The company said in a comment that they will be sending the pair some merchandise.

“We are thankful these guys were found safely and that our cooler was able to be part of a happy ending,” they wrote.

The flames from the cooler fire not only kept them warm but also helped search and rescue teams see their position in the dark.

The hunters had been soaking in cold water for 13 hours by that point and were suffering from “severe hypothermia.” They were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

“We are thankful the men lived to hunt another day and thankful for the help of our partner agencies that made it possible,” the Texas Game Wardens said in a Facebook post.

“I am forever grateful to this incredible group of people who saved my husband and our friend’s life!” one of the hunter’s wives commented. “Again thank y’all!”

“Thank y’all for saving my husband’s uncle and our friends lives!” another relative added. “We are grateful for y’all and how quick y’all acted. We are also thankful for their wonderful wives noticing something wasn’t right and for the men’s survival instincts kicking in! Without their wives, no one would have even known to look for them! Life 360 also helped locate them even when their phones were under water!”

Images via Texas Game Wardens Facebook.