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’Backs get new owners Hockey: Troy Mick to become coach, GM.
By Martha Wickett OBSeRVeR STAFF
Save for a few formalities, the future of Salmon Arm’s Junior A hockey franchise has been secured. The Salmon Arm SilverBacks announced Friday that owners Randy and Terry Williams have agreed to a deal in principle to sell the club to a new ownership group led by current general manager Troy Mick. “It’s huge,” said a pleased Mick last week. “Finally. It’s been a lot of work to try to get it... Now I am happy to say we can officially say we have a deal.” The transfer of the franchise is scheduled to take place today, but members of the new group won’t be named or introduced until early next week, following the SilverBacks Spring Camp now underway at the Shaw Centre. With the new ownerTroy ship group comes the Mick loss of head coach Scott ’backs owner Robinson and the reinstatement of Mick behind he bench. Mick said he’s disappointed to see his friend go. “When he came in September he knew because we told him right off the hopper… the intent was the team would be sold during the course of the year... Obviously he protected himself in his contract very well – my relationship with him, I’m disappointed, but he’s going to be leaving here with his head held up high, because he did a phenomenal job for us... Obviously he’s very disappointed. He’s also a professional and a very good friend, and understood that (the intent was to sell) when he came in September. There was no hiding anything...” Mick said there were ‘what if’s’ concerning his own job depending on who bought the franchise.
JaMes Murray/OBSeRVeR
The rescuers: Paul Hickson, Dale Kilmartin, Nancy Bell and Greg Moore were brought together by fate on Wednesday, April 24 to rescue an injured boater who had fallen into Shuswap Lake near Blind Bay.
Man rescued from lake Life-saving: Citizens pull victim out of water, provide first aid.
By Barb Brouwer OBSeRVeR STAFF
It was a team effort that saved a Blind Bay man’s life. Contractor Paul Hickson and dale Kilmartin were driving from eagle Bay towards Blind Bay Wednesday, April 26, when they spotted a boat going around in circles in the bay. “I slowed down a bit to check it out and could see there was nobody in the boat,” says Hickson. “Then I saw someone in the water.” That someone was Bob Wolfe, who had fallen from his boat while fishing. Wolfe says he tried to swim down to get away from his boat, but the propeller sliced his head open. He started to swim away and when he saw the boat coming back at him, raised his arm to save his head. “When it came at me the third time I
knew I couldn’t out-swim the boat, so I stayed in place and kicked the side so it would turn and go a different angle – and it did,” said Wolfe. “Then I started screaming and screaming for help.” Hearing the screams, Hickson took an aluminum fishing boat from a residence about 100 metres down the beach and he and Kilmartin grabbed two-bysixes to paddle out to where Wolfe was struggling in the water. “I noticed he had major issues – his head was gashed open something fierce, leaving a good trail of blood,” says Hickson, who immediately called for an ambulance. “He was in major shock.” Kilmartin grabbed Wolfe, holding onto him while a boat Kilmartin and Hickson had flagged down, came along the opposite side, so Hickson could hang on while they were pulled to the
shore. Another Blind Bay resident, Greg Moore, had arrived on the scene after becoming concerned by the sound of a boat going in circles. He helped Kilmartin get Wolfe up to a grassy area. “The guy was amazing, the strength he had after what he went through is amazing,” said Hickson, pointing out how Wolfe’s luck continued as Moore’s partner and first-aid provider, Nancy Bell, showed up with her truck loaded with medical supplies. “everything was in line for him, he was on the edge of going over and not coming back,” says Hickson. “His arm was totally thrashed. She stabilized him and gave him oxygen.” Awed by how events happened in Wolfe’s favour, Hickson says he See Wolfe on page A2
See Community on page A2
This week It’s spring and in the Shuswap that means one thing — soccer. Check out the images on A21. Contestants ran the gauntlet to take prizes at the Launch-APreneur event. See A14.
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............. A16 Sports............... A21-A24 Arts & Events ... A25-A28 Time Out................... A29 Vol. 106, No. 18, 48 pages