Carson angler's death was from a heart attack

A Carson City man who died Saturday in Alpine County while fishing suffered a heart attack, an official said Wednesday.

Gene Creighton, 74, was pronounced dead at the scene downstream from Hangman's Bridge, south of Markleeville, where he and a friend were fishing.

Alpine County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Michitarian said Creighton's official cause of death was listed as "acute myocardial infarction" more commonly known as a heart attack.

He said Creighton and his friend arrived at the fishing spot about 8:30 a.m. and hiked down to the river. The friend looked down at one point and when he looked back up, he saw Creighton face down in the river. The friend started CPR, but was unable to revive Creighton. The man drove into Markleeville to get help. Emergency medical personnel were unable to revive the angler and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Creighton was president of the Sagebrush Chapter of Trout Unlimited and on the Carson Fly-Fishing Club's board of directors.