Two hunters suffer fatal heart attacks

WENATCHEE – Two friends on a turkey hunting jaunt together died from apparent heart attacks minutes apart from each other, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Elmer Sapp, 78, and Alfred Hurd, 70, both of East Wenatchee, were hunting together seven miles south of East Wenatchee on Monday when Hurd reportedly got out of a pickup truck and chased a bird down an embankment.

Sapp followed and found his hunting partner lying on the ground with blood coming from his head, according to Chelan County Sheriff Mike Harum. Harum said it appears that Hurd had a heart attack and then fell, injuring his head.

Sapp then went back to the pickup, flagged down a motorist, told the motorist what happened and then collapsed. The motorist and a second driver who happened along performed CPR on both men, Harum said. Autopsies were to be performed on both men.

Clifton Sapp, Sapp’s 56-year-old son, said his father had suffered heart problems for several years.

“Al and Dad were just good friends. To lose a friend and a father, it’s just crazy, like a car wreck,” Clifton Sapp said.