Story Archive

When It Rains, It Pours

Andy Hill, 40, had just been released from the hospital after lung surgery, and decided to take a nice, relaxing tubing trip with his wife in Montana’s Clark Fork River. As they passed under the Bandmann Bridge in East Missoula, however, another passenger joined them. The man had allegedly jumped from the bridge to float down the river and landed on Hill. “There was a guy on my lap,” Hill said. “And he rolled off my lap and he just kept apologizing.” The impact broke both of Hill’s legs, chipped both fibulas, tore the ACLs in both knees, and cracked his left femur. The man is facing criminal endangerment charges, and Hill will be confined to a wheelchair for weeks. Prior to the incident, Hill had been working to form a nonprofit agency called Fishabilities, which, Hill says, is meant “To help people with disabilities get out on the water and go fishing.” (MS/KECI Missoula) ...That’s one hell of a way to do a market survey.