Fish Pockets: Local event honors Cheney student who died during PE accident

Brayden Bahme’s parents wake up each morning thinking of the “ifs.” A tragic accident took their son’s life in 2023, and they now must wonder what could have been.

On Saturday, they partnered with the Isaac Foundation, headed by Brayden’s aunt Holly Goodman, to host the second annual Fish Pockets at Clear Lake. The free event teaches children with mental and developmental disabilities about fishing: knot-tying, baits, safety and species found in the lake.

If Brayden were there, “he’d be here on the dock,” said his mother, Heather Bahme. “He’d be teaching them all to fish.”

There were 55 registrants this year – up from 30 in 2024 – though it’s common for families to join at the last minute.

The Fish Pockets name is a loving tribute to Brayden, who died in an accident during phys ed class at Cheney High School one day after his 16th birthday.

Heather and her husband, Brayden’s father, Steve, recalled how, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, their son had “gone with his brother down (to the water) and only took four days worth of clothes but ended up getting stuck (in Miller Sylvania State Park) for nine days.”

“And so Steve was like, ‘Dude, the kids are not back,’ ” Heather said. “We told them ‘Take flashlights,’ so we could find them. So Steve’s like, ‘I’m gonna go find them,’ because they had rigged up their bikes to hold their poles.”

In typical Brayden fashion, as Steve headed toward the dark waters where his sons stayed, “he could hear him giggling. They were giggling like crazy. Well, it’s hard to be mad when you know they’re fine,” Heather said. “They get back, and all of a sudden, Brayden is pulling fish out of every pocket that he owned, including his hood. And then in his hands was this giant bullfrog, and they were so tickled with themselves to show their catch.”

The “Fish Pockets” name was born.

Hosting this event brings both pain and healing to the Bahmes, who said they struggled to cope this year more than last. But seeing and sharing the joy of fishing is a gift they’re grateful to give.

Heather said parents whose children may have autism or a similar condition notice their kids thriving in the activity.

“Parents probably struggle with the patience of trying to teach their kids, and they don’t sometimes realize how easy it is to get your kids interested,” Steve said.

On one occasion, a parent approached Steve and said she hadn’t “ ‘had more than 10 minutes just to sit quietly in 18 years.’ And she’s like, ‘I would have bet you $1,000 that we would come out here, and we wouldn’t have even made it on the dock.’ And she said, ‘I’ve been sitting here an hour. And (my son) just was completely content.’ ”

One family friend who joined this weekend was Nick Puzycki, Medical Lake High School’s head football coach, who also teaches in special education and coaches softball. He brought his wife and two daughters, both of whom have different disabilities, Puzycki said.

Fishing holds a universal value, he said.

“It’s got something for everybody. I mean, I have one daughter who just likes to be out here and be outside, and I have one daughter who likes to see the fish when they come in.”

To continue Brayden’s legacy is an emotional feat for the Bahmes, but they’re dedicated to doing so. Fishing helps them accomplish that.

If he was there, Goodman said, Brayden “would probably still be on the dock, even once the kids were gone.”