Steelhead angler, 82, survives fall into river, heart attack

Lone angler Wes Burling, a month shy of 83, fell into Wisconsin's Brule River last week, spending at least 35 minutes in the frigid water before being rescued by a passing angler. “My waders were just lead,” Burling said. “I went under water several times. I was swallowing a lot of water.” He was flown to Duluth’s St. Luke’s hospital by helicopter that evening, where doctors were treating him for hypothermia when he suffered a mild heart attack. “I’m too ornery to die,” the tough steelheader said. In the Duluth News Tribune.