Gale H. Wilcox died as the result of attempting to save John C. Fonda from drowning, Moran, Wyoming, March 9, 1960. While crossing an ice covered lake, Fonda, 28, assistant district ranger, broke through into deep water in a channel, making a hole four feet wide and seven feet long. Wilcox, 48, district ranger, and Stanley H. Spurgeon went to his aid. Six feet from the hole, Wilcox dropped to a prone position and extended one of his ski poles to Fonda. Spurgeon lay prone behind Wilcox and grasped his skis to give him support. Holding to the ski pole, Fonda tried without success to remove his skis and to climb onto the ice. Spurgeon then unclamped one of his skis and thrust it to Fonda who, holding to it and to the pole, again tried to climb out of the hole. The ice beneath Wilcox and Spurgeon gave way, lengthening the hole to 19 feet and plunging both men into the water. Fonda clung to the ice at the side of the hole. Wilcox did likewise and tried to unfasten his skis but could not do so. Taking off his other ski, Spurgeon submerged briefly and attempted without success to remove the skis from Wilcox. After trying unsuccessfully to thrust Wilcox onto the edge of the ice, which broke off, Spurgeon then succeeded in drawing himself out of the hole. He made his way to a ski pole, returned to within six feet of Wilcox and, lying prone, extended the pole to him. Wilcox grasped the pole and climbed partially out of the hole. Working his way close to the hole, Spurgeon maneuvered Wilcox onto the ice with difficulty because of his skis and then dragged him 25 feet from the hole. Fonda, who was floating with his face in the water, showed no sign of life. Spurgeon was unable to lift Wilcox, who could not help himself. His clothing already frozen stiff, Spurgeon decided that it was impossible to get Wilcox through the deep snowdrifts to a cabin a half a mile away and that the only alternative was to go alone and bring back a sleeping bag to keep him from freezing to death. With only the ski pole for assistance, Spurgeon made his way with difficulty and reached the cabin more than an hour later. After warming himself and regaining his strength, he improvised some snowshoes and then made his way back to the lake with the sleeping bag. Both Wilcox and Fonda were dead. Spurgeon returned to the cabin and the next morning attracted some hunters, who removed the bodies of Fonda and Wilcox from the lake. 45181-4375
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