CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — On any given day on King’s Bay in Crystal River you can find people out on the water fishing. But for one couple that hit the water this week, their fishing trip was extra special.
- Fisherman diagnosed with dementia goes on one last fishing trip
- Man and wife spend lives sailing and fishing
- David Fletcher is almost 90-years-old
David and Alice Fletcher have always loved fishing, especially in Jamacia where they first met.
“Growing up on the islands of course you do catch fish a lot — it’s fun,” Alice said.
They’ve traveled the world on a sailboat, and kept fishing along the way.
“We just enjoyed it and ate it too. We loved fish,” she explained.
They moved to Homosassa fourteen years ago, and did get out on the water when they first got here. However, Alice said fishing trips are now hard to come by.
In fact, there’s a good chance this most recent fishing trip could be David’s last one.
He has end stage dementia and his caretakers say he has less than six months to live.
He started hospice care with VITAS Heathclare two months ago at his home, and after the team members heard his story, they wanted to organize a trip to get him back out on the water.
“It took a lot of the team to come together and make this happen for him and it’s just very exciting to see him and his wife be able to come out here instead of being at home in front of the TV or sitting on the couch or in his hospital bed,” Shannon Snowden with VITAS Healthcare said.
It’s a trip Alice said she’ll always remember.
“It’s good to see him enthusiastic and enjoying it,” Alice explained.
David is almost 90. He and Alice have been married for 60 years.