Fish shack takes flight!

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Who could pick up a 1,500 lbs. fish shack and move it 50 yards in a matter of seconds? Mother Nature! That’s who!
At the Troy and Laurie Brown residence in Pinewood a week ago this past Sunday that is exactly what happened! Troy’s ice fishing shack was 8’X12’ in size and weighed about 1,500 lbs. It was parked for the summer on the edge of the riverbank right next to an old car the family no longer drives.
Around 6:30 p.m. on August 8th, Mother Nature picked it up, lifted it right over the old car and then it appeared dropped it on the other side of the car. It then moved it again about 50 yards from the car shattering the building. There was debris strewn from the car to the middle of a neighbouring field. However, there is not a scratch on the old car!
Troy was at work that night and his wife and kids were at a family function just down the road. When Laurie came home she called Troy to tell him where the shack was now. “I couldn’t believe it!” said Troy last week.
What is even more unbelievable is the fact that nothing else was damaged or moved in the couple’s yard. “The kids small pool is sitting not far from the shack and it did not budge!” The only other damage was to the shingles on a wishing well but Troy figured they were just stapled down.
Troy said that he heard reports that an F1 tornado was seen in the region that night and Bob Johnston from Rainy River said his weather station recorded a 55 m.p.h. gust that nearly tore the awning of the back of his house that same evening in Rainy River.
There was no confirmation of any tornadoes touching down in the region by Environment Canada but high winds were reported in many locations.
Fortunately no one was hurt in the fish shack episode. However, Troy had to spend a day cleaning up the mess.