Everglades Claims Young Life

A twenty year old man who lived to airboat, fish, and hunt in the Everglades collapsed and died after trudging through the scorching hot sawgrass to find help when his airboat got stuck. Willie Thornton knew the Everglades as a boy growing up in rural West Palm Beach. He spent every daylight hour he could four-wheeling near its banks, airboating with his father, or just horsing around there with his cousins.

But during a swamp outing on Friday, Thornton's favorite spot to relax became the scene of panic and hours later, his death. According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, Willie Thornton and his uncle, Danny Lee Thornton, launched their airboat about 8:30 a.m. Friday from a ramp at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Palm Beach County. The pair were about three miles from the ramp, in Broward County, when their airboat got stuck in the mud about 9 a.m. The boat, which Danny Lee Thornton had recently purchased, broke down. ''I guess Willie thought he'd just go try to find some help, go back to the truck and get a battery and see if they could fix the boat,'' Gaydos said.

Danny Lee Thornton, 38, used his cellphone to call relatives and tell them the boat wasn't working. Meanwhile, Willie Thornton slogged his way through at least 12-foot-high sawgrass searching for the road where the truck was parked. Swamp grasses can make it feel 20 degrees hotter. The temperature Friday in West Palm Beach was 90 degrees. ''The people who live out there get lost on a daily basis,'' said Robert Gaydos of South Carolina, who grew up with Danny Lee Thornton. "The levees are adjusted, forming islands one day that disappear the next.''

About 6:40 p.m. Friday, the Thornton family called the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, touching off an extensive search with helicopters and airboats. A Thornton cousin found Willie Thornton just before 11 a.m. Saturday, a fifth of a mile from the access road out of the Everglades, authorities said. He had wandered about two miles from where the airboat got stuck. Rescuers believe he died of exposure. The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office is expected to make a final determination later this week.

The Thornton family spent Father's Day at a home west of West Palm Beach, talking about the hardworking man who died in a place that, for years, had given him great peace. (excerpted from story by Ashley Frantz and Jennifer Lebovich)

Turtles in the Everglades

Nearly every time that I have ever been to the Everglades, I have seen turtles basking in the sun. Sometimes they are not very big, such as these two Peninsula Cooters (I guess they could be Painted Turtles?) that are pictured above. Those turtles were about a foot long.
The softshell turtle (July 13) on the other hand was about three feet long and the largest that I have ever seen.

Visit to the Everglades in July

The Everglades in July are hot. The mosquitoes are flying around in swarms. These are big fat mosquitoes, not the skinny tiny ones that are usually in South Florida.

You can feel these mosquitoes when they fly into your arms and legs. Even worse are some big green flies that are about an inch long and they buzz people too. The dragonflies are about four inches long and thick. I am not sure if the bite, but they feel sharp when they fly into a body.
There was a large softshell turtle sunning itself by the third visitor's area. The turtle had a very deep brownish green color. The turtle looked so alive and happy to be there. I felt very privileged to be there that day.

The softshell turtle was at least three feet long about about two feet wide. It looked very healthy and as I got closer to it the turtle looked at me and actually walked towards me. I wonder if it had gotten in the habit of getting treats from visitors. I did not have any food, I wonder what it would want to eat? Certainly the Repto-Min pellets are too tiny. I guess I could have brought along a pail full of shiners from the Bait Store (or as the Three Stooges used to say: "If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.")

After the softshell turtle had been walking around for a few minutes it stopped and some big bugs flew on its shell. I was wondering if the bugs were eating parasites or algae. I am not sure what they were. They looked like big Palmetto bugs (roaches), but maybe they were dragonflies? The bugs looked like something out of a science fiction horror movie, and I was not interested in getting close enough to find out. By then the mosquitoes had started biting us to bits anyway, and we wanted to get back into the car and air-conditioning.
Lots of Gators in the 'Glades

Everglades

This planet Earth probably has many places as wonderful as The Everglades. Hopefully those wonderful places will not be polluted to death or developed into shopping malls! The Everglades is one incredibly amazing place. There are about three different sections of the Everglades that are open to the public. There is also a nice marina for medium and small boats and yachts and a small hotel located in the middle of the Everglades. The Everglades is a paradise for bird watching and enjoying nature.

During summer, the swarms of mosquitoes are usually so bad that you will get them flying into your mouth when you are talking. If you are allergic to mosquito bites, then you will get dozens of welts all over your arms and legs and any other exposed skin. Allergic folks usually wear long pants, long sleeve shirts and a boonie hat along with a lot of Skeeter spray. The best season to visit the Everglades is towards Fall and Winter, when the Skeeters are usually not as active and the heat is less intensive.

If you like turtles, alligators, snakes, and iguanas, there are tons of them at the Everglades, and they are usually walking or swimming around nearby at any time. You can walk to the edge of the water and look at an alligator from about a distance of one foot or as close as you dare. Sometimes the alligators are sunning themselves on the grassy areas near a parking area. You can literally walk up and pet them if you dare. These alligators seem to know that the people are not food, as I have gotten very close to them and they have yet to bite my arm off. Of course, I would strongly advise against getting too close to an alligator; so if you go there and get your arm bitten off, do not blame me.

Gators are the freshwater version of Sharks. They are predators, but they are very intriguing creatures. Alligators happen to be the smartest reptiles, and turtles are the second smartest reptiles. How smart are Alligators? Well, their brains have the evolutionary design for a split-brain just like Mammals. However, for some reason they have yet to evolve to that point.

Near the Everglades, on Tamiami Trail there are many places that cater to the tourists and which have various kinds of petting zoos or reptile zoos. Those are fun to visit. The southern Everglades Park which is in Homestead does not have any large tourist attractions, but on the road there are occasionally little roadside stands which have alligators that you can pet and carry around. For $5. you can get your photo taken carrying a small alligator. Sometimes there is a guy with pony rides also. It is entertaining for young children and parents too.

If you have not visited the Everglades lately, it is an excellent way to spend a day. There are picnic areas too, so you can bring a cooler and food. An Annual Pass costs $25. for one vehicle and it is good in all Federal Parks. There is also the one-day entrance fee, which is only $5. for one carload of people.