Outposts looks back at 2010: Passings
With the year ending, it is worth looking back at memorable posts of 2010. Each day this week through Friday, Outposts will recount some of the records broken, the achievements reached, the notable passings and the downright unusual during 2010 in the outdoors, action and adventure world.
Three-time world surfing champion Andy Irons, 32
Legendary surfer Andy Irons died at the age of 32. The three-time world champion passed away during a layover in Dallas en route from Puerto Rico to his home in Hawaii. His body was discovered in a hotel room Nov. 2, after he failed to respond to a wake-up call.
Irons, who was raised on Kauai, became ill during an ASP World Tour event in Puerto Rico. He was apparently suffering from symptoms similar to those associated with dengue fever.
Photo credit: ASP
Capt. Phil Harris, 53, of 'Deadliest Catch'
Phil Harris, the hard-talking captain of one of the crab-fishing vessels featured on the Discovery Channel series "Deadliest Catch" died Feb. 9 after suffering a stroke Jan. 29 while in port offloading his boat, the 128-foot Cornelia Marie. Harris was 53.
Harris captained the Cornelia Marie for 18 years and had two sons, Josh and Jake, who worked as deckhands on the vessel.
Photo: Discovery Channel
Extreme skier Fredrik Ericsson, 35, falls to his death scaling K2
Fredrik Ericsson, one of the world's leading high-altitude skiers, fell to his death Aug. 6 while attempting to scale and then ski from the 28,251-foot summit of K2. Ericsson was 35.
Featured in a June Outposts item, the extreme skier was on a quest to ski down the three highest peaks on the planet -- K2, on the border between China and Pakistan; the Himalayan peak of Kangchenjunga; and Mt. Everest, on the border of Nepal and Tibet.
Photo: FredrikEricsson.com
Body boarder fatally attacked by shark in Santa Barbara County
Nineteen-year-old Lucas McKaine Ransom, of Romoland, Calif., was fatally attacked by a shark Oct. 22 while body-boarding with a friend north of Santa Barbara. Ransom, who was a student at UC Santa Barbara, bled to death as a result of his injuries, which are presumed to have been caused by a great white.
Prior to Ransom, there had been only 11 fatal attacks by great white sharks on humans off California since the 1950s, the last being in April 2008 involving a swimmer off Solana Beach in San Diego County.
Photo credit: Ransom family
Mike Blair, a longtime employee of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, assembled a touching tribute video to his chocolate Labrador retriever, Java, his companion and hunting partner for the last 10 years, who died June 27.
I found Blair's video so poignant that I decided to include it here.
Screen-grab credit: Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
In memory of my father, Donald Burgess
The loss closest to my heart was that of my father, Donald Burgess, who died March 27.
My father helped instill in me an interest in grammar and the proper use of language. He enjoyed pointing out grammatically incorrect phrases. (It's not "I could care less," but "I couldn't care less," and, he noted, there really isn't such a term as "first annual," which should always be referred to as "inaugural.")
When I said my goodbye, it wasn't really that but more of a see you later. I told him that I knew I'd see him again and to say hi to Mom for me, for they are together again. I love them both so very much and miss them terribly.
Photo credit: Allison Ramsey / Allison Ramsey Photography
OTHER NOTABLE PASSINGS:
Winter X Games freeskier C.R. Johnson dies in skiing accident at Squaw Valley
Body of boxing promoter Bob Arum's son, John, found in Washington's North Cascades National Park
Legendary skateboarder Bob Biniak, 51, one of the original Dogtown Z-Boys
Remains of U.S. balloonists missing over Adriatic Sea since September are found
THURSDAY: Outposts looks back at 2010: Unusual news
RELATED:
Outposts looks back at 2010: Records
Outposts looks back at 2010: Achievements
-- Kelly Burgess
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