Looking for Truth by Lookin'

RETIREMENT is DIFFERENT for EVERYONE

One day, while going to the store; I passed by a nursing home.

On the front lawn were six old ladies lying naked on the grass.

I thought this was a bit unusual, but continued on my way to the store.

On my return trip, I passed the same nursing home with the same six old

ladies lying naked on the lawn.

This time my curiosity got the best of me, and I went inside to talk

to the Nursing Home Administrator.

'Do you know there are six ladies lying naked on your front lawn?'

'Yes,' she said. 'They're retired prostitutes, and they're having a yard sale.'

5/18/2008 Madera County, CA (KFSN) -- The three men found in an abandoned gold mine located in O'Neals have been identified.

25 year old David of Prather, 23 year old Matthew also from Prather, and Brannon 26, from Madera died in a north valley mine late Saturday night when they ran out of oxygen.

Madera Cal-Fire crews responded to the mine, which is just south of Coarsegold off of the 41.

Hazmat crews were called to the scene so the three bodies could be removed. They found high levels of carbon monoxide and lack of oxygen in the mine.

So quickly the lives of my two cousins (best friend and brothers) and their best friend and cousin were “snuffed-out” – Three young men with everything to live for and the world at their feet – gone.

It was not planned, but an accident, no one expected it to happen. Their families are devistated beyond comprehension. Brannon, their cousin was only married for two months and leaves a wife and a young son. David and Matthew, best friends & brothers in life – also died in an act of saving each other. They did everything together, including die.

What happened – we can only guess. But clues show that the guys had gone into an abandon gold mine on their Dad’s property, one which they had grown up playing in and about. This old mine was filled with water, which they began to drain with a gasoline generator, pumping out the water the previous day. On Saturday they returned and entered the mine – David first, we think and when he got into trouble – Matthew and Brannon ran into the mine after him. Without their knowledge it was filled with bad air – Carbon monoxide – deadly levels that quickly took their lives.

Just twenty feet from the entrance their bodies were found all covered with mud from the water that had previously been there. It appears that David was first to go down, overcome by the lack of air. Matthew and Brannon had been doing all they could to drag him out to fresh air. The trouble with that was they were all covered with mud, wet and David being the biggest of the three, and the heaviest, made it impossible for the boys to move quickly enough, pulling uphill, to not be overcome themselves by the carbon monoxide in the mine.

They were found with David on his back, as if being dragged by the arms. Matthew on his knees above his brother, yet laying on him from the shoulders up and Brannon on his knees, as if they were pulling him up the slope to fresh air – just not enough time, None made it out… The three overcome by the poison air died. Now there is nothing to do but make burial arrangement for three beautiful young men and cry and mourn their passing – And Pray – please pray for comfort of the living – their families trying to cope with this tragedy. Pray for all of us trying to understand – the reason…