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An open letter to all who showed concern and support.
Dear friends,
Last Memorial Day weekend while participating in the C Stock Runabout race at the TRORA John Read Memorial Regatta in Franklin, Pennsylvania I experienced a heart attack. I feel that I am lucky to be alive after this event. And I feel even more lucky and blessed to belong to an organization of people who pull together and help their fellow racers when the situation is in dire need of their generous support.
My ordeal started with arm, chest, and jaw pain, while driving down the backstretch of the first lap. My hand slipped on the wheel when entering turn 2 and I realized something was wrong. I immediately pulled of the course and returned to the pits. The pain was not easing up in any way and I could not catch my breath. Finally after getting out of my boat and removing my gear, I decided to walk up to the ambulance and have the paramedics check me out. I must have looked very distressed because Alex Jennings noticed that I was struggling and helped me make the rest of my trek to the ambulance.
My situation ended up being more critical than I perceived it to be. The quick thinking of the paramedic giving me a dose of chewable baby aspirin is one of the key factors of me not getting any heart muscle damage. I was transported to the hospital in Oil City, where I received excellent emergency care and I was eventually transported by life flight helicopter to my local hospital in Lake County, Ohio where there is an excellent coronary care unit. I was disheartened when my catheterization revealed that I wasn’t a candidate for the less invasive insertion of stints to open up my clogged heart arteries. A quadruple by-pass was performed and I went home from the hospital after 3 days of recovery from the surgery. My recovery is going well and I will be attending the Lakemore race in a couple of weeks. I hope to see as many of you as possible.
And so here it is that I sit, at my computer, counting my blessings and welling up with deep emotion and gratitude to my fellow boat racing friends and families who generously donated monetary gifts, gifts of prayer, caring thoughts through email, cards, and phone calls and the help and support to my son while he packed up all of our gear for the trip home from Franklin. Thank you everyone. I am truly blessed to know all of you.
Sincerely,
Rick Wagner Sr.
Dear friends,
Last Memorial Day weekend while participating in the C Stock Runabout race at the TRORA John Read Memorial Regatta in Franklin, Pennsylvania I experienced a heart attack. I feel that I am lucky to be alive after this event. And I feel even more lucky and blessed to belong to an organization of people who pull together and help their fellow racers when the situation is in dire need of their generous support.
My ordeal started with arm, chest, and jaw pain, while driving down the backstretch of the first lap. My hand slipped on the wheel when entering turn 2 and I realized something was wrong. I immediately pulled of the course and returned to the pits. The pain was not easing up in any way and I could not catch my breath. Finally after getting out of my boat and removing my gear, I decided to walk up to the ambulance and have the paramedics check me out. I must have looked very distressed because Alex Jennings noticed that I was struggling and helped me make the rest of my trek to the ambulance.
My situation ended up being more critical than I perceived it to be. The quick thinking of the paramedic giving me a dose of chewable baby aspirin is one of the key factors of me not getting any heart muscle damage. I was transported to the hospital in Oil City, where I received excellent emergency care and I was eventually transported by life flight helicopter to my local hospital in Lake County, Ohio where there is an excellent coronary care unit. I was disheartened when my catheterization revealed that I wasn’t a candidate for the less invasive insertion of stints to open up my clogged heart arteries. A quadruple by-pass was performed and I went home from the hospital after 3 days of recovery from the surgery. My recovery is going well and I will be attending the Lakemore race in a couple of weeks. I hope to see as many of you as possible.
And so here it is that I sit, at my computer, counting my blessings and welling up with deep emotion and gratitude to my fellow boat racing friends and families who generously donated monetary gifts, gifts of prayer, caring thoughts through email, cards, and phone calls and the help and support to my son while he packed up all of our gear for the trip home from Franklin. Thank you everyone. I am truly blessed to know all of you.
Sincerely,
Rick Wagner Sr.
We also carry an AED where ever we go
11 J........ Dangerous when Wet 
Runne Craft- Earl said, " Driving a Runne Craft is like Cheating". Dude, ........ Where's My Boat! 
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