MTU professor dies from cardiac arrest while skiing LAURIUM ’Äì A 68-year-old experienced cross-country skier and racer was pronounced dead on arrival early Thursday evening at Keweenaw Memorial Medical Center in Laurium after a cardiac arrest he experienced while skiing on the Bear Chase Loop at Swedetown Ski Trails in Calumet, about two miles from the Swedetown Chalet. Rescue efforts by fellow skiers and Mercy Ambulance personnel failed to resuscitate the victim, Ward Frea, 68, of Houghton, Michigan Tech professor of mechanical engineering and an experienced skate skier who skied regularly at Swedetown. According to Frea’Äôs fellow skier John Crittenden of Houghton, Michigan Tech presidential professor of civil and environmental engineering, who was skiing behind him, Frea collapsed on the trail after he had skied about 10 kilometers and had stopped to talk to Karl Nordin of Atlantic Mine. Crittenden and Nordin immediately applied CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) while another skier (unidentified) reportedly went for help. Susan Mills of Hancock said she and her husband Owen Mills were just approaching the Bear Chase Loop when a skier coming to assist alerted them to the situation. Since she has up-to-date CPR certification, Susan skied to the scene and also assisted with CPR, along with some other skiers, including, she noted, a Northern Michigan University student (unidentified) who said he was training to be an emergency medical technician. "We continued CPR until Mercy (Ambulance) came," Susan said. Mercy ambulance owner Jerry Primeau said ambulance personnel ’Äì a paramedic and two emergency medical technicians ’Äì took their snowmobile and rescue sled to the scene and continued resuscitation efforts using a cardiac monitor and a defibrillator. "It was 17:27 (5:27 p.m.) when we received a call (from the Chalet)," Primeau said. "At 17:38 we were on the scene (at the chalet). He (Frea) was two miles into the trails. (The ambulance personnel) went in and brought him out, and they left for Keweenaw Memorial at 18:14 (6:14 p.m.)." While the ambulance rescue took less than an hour, Crittenden estimated the cardiac arrest occurred a little after 5 p.m. He noted it was still daylight when Frea collapsed. Crittenden said Frea was not only an excellent skier, but a runner, rollerblader and mountain biker as well. "He was sort of the poster child of clean living. He didn’Äôt smoke or drink, and he was almost a vegetarian. It doesn’Äôt add up to me," Crittenden said. According to Rick Oikarinen, owner of Cross Country Sports in Calumet and ex-officer of the Copper Island Ski Club, Frea skied and raced for many years and was a very good long distance runner as well. "He was in excellent shape," Oikarinen said. "He’Äôs been a fixture on the local racing scene for a long time." Oikarinen noted the Bear Chase Loop starts two kilometers from the chalet and extends for seven kilometers. "To ski the Bear Chase Loop you’Äôd have to ski about a minimum of 11 kilometers from the chalet and back; but knowing those guys ’Äì they regularly ski a lot farther," Oikarinen added. William Predebon, chair of Michigan Tech’Äôs Department of Mechanical Engineering ’Äì Engineering Mechanics, also noted Frea was "in great shape" ’Äì an active runner and an active skier and blader. "Years ago he was featured in Runners’Äô World as one of the top runners in his age class," Predebon said. Predebon said Frea had been at Michigan Tech for about 38 years. "In the early years he was instrumental in the development of the Mechanical Engineering Department’Äôs research and graduate program, and in the latter years he focused on teaching," Predebon said. "He was a longtime colleague, and he will be missed by the department." Plowe’Äôs Funeral Home in Houghton is handling funeral arrangements, but further information is not yet available. -Michele Anderson January 5, 2001 Click here for the obituary ...