A Clackamas County deputy recently hooked a catch he was decidedly not angling for, while training on the upper Clackamas River: himself.
In a recent post to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, Deputy Dan Ferguson explained how he got a fishing hook and lure stuck in his face while practicing patient rescue and evacuation techniques.
Ferguson, who serves as a contracted patrol officer for the Happy Valley Police Department, said he and another deputy were practicing deep-water entry, jumping off of a 20-foot rock and the swimming across Class 3 rapids.
“Well, I entered the water, made it to the surface and then aggressively swam to the other side,” he said. “Once I got out of the water, I thought I was stung in the jaw by a bee — until I reached up and felt something.”
As you’ve probably guessed…it was not a bee sting.
He went to the other deputy to ask what was going on. Deputy Clemson’s response was priceless, and I quote: “Dude! You got a fishing lure in your face!”
The two deputies rafted down to their take-out point, where Ferguson changed and drove himself to the emergency room. In case you’re wondering: Yes, he kept the lure.
“I’m planning on taking it fishing,” Ferguson quipped, “because it obviously catches things.”
The two photos, both provided by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, commemorate the event. One shows Deputy Ferguson with his new facial piercing.
The other is an “artist’s interpretation” of the event, courtesy one of Ferguson’s colleagues, who obviously felt a Happy Valley PD poster needed updating.
