Odds and Ends

The drowning of Eric Dietz

I was saddened today to hear about the loss of the son of a person I respect and have been inspired by.  Eric Dietz, the 29 year old son of Lisa Dietz, died in January from drowning. Lisa was the operator of dbtselfhelp.com which is now down. Unbeknownst to Lisa, I have been inspired by her site and have quoted it several times on my site and in my publications. I am very  sorry for her loss. I can only imagine the pain this untimely death must have caused.

Here is the link to and text of the obit for Eric:

Obituary: Trying to save a life, Eric Dietz lost his own
Article by: MARY LYNN SMITH , Star Tribune Updated: January 24, 2013 – 11:04 PM

Eric Dietz didn’t let anything stop him.

“He was very adventurous,” said his mother, Lisa Dietz of Golden Valley.

On Jan. 6, a day when the surf was extraordinarily rough along Kehena Beach in Lower Puna on Hawaii’s Big Island, Dietz, who grew up in the Twin Cities, is presumed to have drowned while trying to help another swimmer get to shore, his mother said. He was 29.

Hawaiian officials said a search for Dietz’s body was suspended after three days. Currents in that area are extremely strong, said police Capt. Mitch Kanehailua. The beach, which is off the beaten path, is popular with nearby residents who generally know that the area has dangerous currents with a surf that is rough most of the year, he said.

On the day Dietz was reported missing, a surf advisory had been posted, Kanehailua said. Amid a pounding surf, a body boarder got to Dietz, but it appeared that he had already died, Kanehailua said. And then a wave separated the two, he said.

Dietz’s mother said she last talked to her son two days before he died. “He was the happiest I’ve ever known him to be,” she said. “I think Hawaii gave him life. It gave him the freedom to be himself.”

Dietz had been in Hawaii, where his father lives, since March, was living in a commune with other artists, his mother said. “He was an incredible musician,” she said.

Growing up in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Dietz graduated from Southwest High School in 2001 and attended Augsburg College and then the University of Minnesota, where he studied mathematics, music and computers, said his sister, Amelia Cohoes of Minneapolis. “He was an involved, loving man,” she said.

One Comment

  • Nora Clark

    I send all of my deepest sympathies to the family. Know that your Eric was truly a hero and is in heaven watching over all of you.

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