Fishermen from Burr Oak rescue reunited

CORNING - When Steve Handa lost his fishing pole in Burr Oak Lake in late October, he gave up hope of ever seeing it again.

Handa, of Glouster, was just thankful he didn't drown after falling out of his boat that day. A man from Crooksville named Roger Ross had helped him out of the water and back onto his boat.

Ross later recovered Handa's pole from the bottom of the lake, but the two were unable to find each other after that October day. But Tuesday, after Ross's plea to find Handa and return his pole was featured in the Times Recorder, the two were reunited.

Handa was elated to talk to Ross again when they met at John's Place in Corning.

"This man made two major decisions that day that sent him out there," Handa said, pointing to Ross. "And he saved me."

Ross returned Handa's pole with the lure he used to pull it from the lake attached. In exchange, Handa gave Ross one of the many knives in his collection — a gift for a new-found friend.

Handa searched for his fishing pole only briefly after the accident. He would be fine without that pole, Handa thought. He only fished four or five times this summer anyway and he had other poles.

"I went back up there once and went fishing for about an hour," Handa said. "Nothing."

But Ross's determination was not so easily quelled.

"I just wanted to try," Ross said. "I'd fished for two hours without getting a bite. If you get frustrated enough, you'll try anything."

After about five casts, Ross said, he was able to pull Handa's fishing pole from the lake floor. Then he looked in the phone book, talked to law enforcement in Glouster, and tried seemingly whatever he could to find Handa to return the rod. Ross even found Handa's house, but he wasn't home when Ross came knocking.

But Handa's daughter had found the TR story on Facebook and showed her father. Handa looked up Ross in the phone book and called to set up Tuesday's reunion.

Crooksville fisherman saves man at Burr Oak

As the two parted, they shook hands and Handa looked Ross in the eye, expressing his gratitude.

"I love you," he said. "Just like God does."

"I'm glad I was there," Ross said.

"Me too," Handa said with a laugh.

The two men promised they would see each other again. Out on the lake probably, they said. The waved, climbed into their pickup trucks, fired their ignitions and drove their separate ways.

bparks2@gannett.com

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Twitter: @Bradley_W_Parks