Tom Miner (on the left), Jim Browne (who took the picture), and Jack (on the right) traveled by train to the middle of "the barrens" where they were dropped off. The train was to pick them up three days later on the way back to Churchill. They were told when they were left that this was a stupid thing to do. They stayed anyway and darn near lost their lives.

They had been told that there was a shack out there where they could stay. When it began to rain very hard they headed for the shack, only to find that it didn't have a roof. They got soaked and had no way to get out of the rain. Jack was the only one with a waterproof jacket so they took turns wearing it and trying to get warm.

Jim went over to get a saucepan of water out of the river and as he was bending over to fill the pan with water a big fish jumped up right in front of him and scared him so much he ran backward up the bank. He was in his underwear as he was trying to get his pants dry over their fire. That gave Jack and Tom and good laugh, which they probably needed by then.

Tom decided to head out on his own to get help (which probably saved their lives). He found some kind of a station with a bunk house where there were people staying and they came down to the track with a speeder and picked them up. They did get a lot of fish; they gave some away but had to leave some there. Jack figures they came very close to dying on that trip.

This is a photo of Jack with a Northern Pike he caught on the fishing trip described above.

Jack remembers a tragic fishing trip that anyone who was there during that time would probably recall. Two American officers, a Sergeant (he doesn't remember whether a Canadian or American) decided to go on a fishing trip, presumably on the Churchill River. When they were ready to come home the boat was overloaded. The Sergeant decided to walk back back to Base, but the other three decided to use the boat to get home. It took the Sergeant all day to walk back to the Base. When he got back he inquired how the rest of them made out and was told that they hadn't arrived. Unfortunately all three of them drowned.