Kevin and Danielle Trowbridge

Troy Delzer had just followed his wife Terri up three flights of stairs and down a hallway to their daughter’s apartment door. As Terri was unlocking the door she heard a thump and turned to find Troy lying on the floor, unconscious. He was not breathing, his heart was not beating. Terri began yelling for help and Kevin Trowbridge came running down the hall. Kevin called 911, instructed another person to administer CPR, and stayed on the line with the 911 dispatcher relaying instructions throughout the ordeal. Kevin and his wife Danielle acted with speed and courage while remaining calm until EMT and fire rescue personnel arrived. Terri believes Kevin and Danielle’s heroic act helped save Troy’s life.

Scott Parker

Wayne Waller, 77, and his passenger, Mae Line, were traveling on Highway 2 north of Cloquet, MN, when Wayne lost consciousness and crashed his truck into some trees along the road. Three people stopped to help, pulling Wayne from one of the truck’s windows and beginning CPR. In the meantime, State Patrol Sgt. Scott Parker arrived and raced to his squad car to grab his automated external defibrillator. Using the AED, Scott shocked Wayne and continued CPR until paramedics arrived. The quick actions of Trooper Parker and the people who stopped to help, saved Wayne’s life.

Breanna Nehl and Alyssa Dollinger

Breanna Nehl and Alyssa Dollinger were lifeguards on duty at Hillside Aquatic Complex this past summer. As Breanna approached Alyssa to change lifeguarding stations, Alyssa was watching a young boy, and Alyssa questions, in her mind, his swimming ability. As they change positions at that lifeguarding station, Alyssa alerts Breanna to this. It became apparent that the boy needed assistance. Breanna followed safety protocols, jumped in, brought the boy to the pool deck, blew her whistle three times to signal an emergency and to alert her fellow lifeguards. The boy was unconscious. She administered two rescue breaths, started compressions and he responded. Other lifeguards on duty followed cleared the pool. A woman who happened to be at the pool came forward and identified herself as a first responder and assisted Breanna. Another lifeguard on duty called 911, and within minutes, an ambulance arrived and transported the boy to the hospital. He was released later that evening.

Joel Valadez

Joel Valadez took a CPR/AED/First Aid class in high school and was able to use the skills he learned to save his sister’s life. Joel’s mom, Nancy, awoke to her 17-year-old daughter suffocating. She was using her nebulizer machine but was unable to hold it and her lips were purple. Nancy called 911 but didn’t know what to do next. That’s when 15-year-old Joel put her on a flat surface, started talking to her to see if she could talk back and began doing chest compressions. Nancy says “If it wasn’t for him, my daughter wouldn’t be here today.”

Ryan T. Nelson

Matt Heisler was home alone when a fire started. His roommate, Ryan Nelson, arrived at the home and saw heavy smoke through the window. He ran to the back of the house and broke Matt’s bedroom window to enter the house. When he couldn’t find him he went back to the front door and entered again, searching for Matt through heavy smoke on his hands and knees, until he found him. Ryan carried Matt out and performed CPR until his friend’s heart started beating again. Matt’s heart stopped again once the two arrived at the Grand Forks hospital where Heisler was then flown to a hospital in Minneapolis. Matt did not survive but his family is grateful they had the chance to say good bye and fulfill Matt’s wish to help others through organ donation.

Leland Olds Station First Response Team

Jerry Sorenson was at the Leland Olds Station to deliver fuel oil when he stumbled back, hit his head, became unconscious and was not breathing. Three members of the First Response Team assessed Jerry who quickly became a high-priority patient – he was bleeding from his mouth and head and had no pulse. Others from the First Response Team arrived bringing an AED and medical supplies. One team member provided rescue breaths while another started chest compressions. The team prepped Jerry for a shock administered by an AED. An oral airway was inserted and additional team members stepped in to continue chest compressions and take over rescue breathing. Jerry was fitted with a c-collar and placed onto a back board prior to transportation to the hospital. The team was told he survived and the outlook was promising.

The Leland Olds Station First Response Team includes:
• Bryce Harring
• Amanda Huntimer
• Todd Isaak
• Tracy Johnson
• Kasey Lesmann
• James Porter
• Davin Renner
• Jake Schmidt
• Kris Schmidt
• Murray Snyder

Kylee Bitner

Seatbelt Saves Her Life
Reprinted from the Glen Ullin Times, with permission

On July 21, 2005, at 7:13 am, a young lady was traveling east on I-94 heading to Bismarck to pick up her nephew for the weekend. Her name is Kylee Bittner and she wants to let everyone know her story and how a simple thing like buckling her seatbelt saved her life…

She fell asleep a short distance from the Sweet Briar exit. Her car was going left heading for the median, when her wheels on the passenger side of the car were going across the rumble strips which woke her up. She tried to correct herself by turning the wheel to the right, which brought her back up onto the highway. Trying to straighten the wheels out didn’t work. They seemed to be locked. She knew she was heading into the ditch on the right and went up over the hill. At the top of the hill is where she rolled the car an estimated three times. Her car spun and hit two wooden fence posts and came to a stop facing northwest.

Kerry does not remember rolling but when the car stopped right side up, with the engine still running, she remembers turning it off. She remembers that she had to get out of the car. She tried to open the door thinking it was locked. She pulled up the lock, but it was stuck, so she hurried and crawled out the driver’s window. She was dizzy when she got out but she had to get help. She started running for the highway. When she reached the top of the hill, she saw a car parked on the side of the road and another car pulling over. She started yelling for help, screaming, “I need help. There was an accident. Call 911,” while waving her arms for help. She saw someone was calling 911. Then she ran to the other car and found out he was from Glen Ullin, as was she, and she knew him – Brad Kilde. He took her into his car, tried to calm her down and let her use his cell phone so she could call her mom.

It only took a few minutes for the highway patrol to arrive at the accident scene. After the call to her mother, she looked herself over finding only a few little scrapes and cuts. She only had one deep scratch on her left arm. She was so terrified and in shock. All she wanted was to see her mom and when she saw her coming up the highway, she knew then everything was going to be okay, although it seemed like forever until she got there.

The first question asked by the Highway Patrolman was “Were you wearing your seatbelt?” “Yes,” Kylee replied. The Highway Patrolman and Kylee were talking and he told her if she wouldn’t have had her seatbelt on, he didn’t know if she would be here right now. Talking about that scared her and she was thankful that she believes in wearing her seatbelt and for everything she had. She was so happy she had her life because she couldn’t imagine being gone. That scares her every time she thinks about the accident and the results that could have been. She keeps thinking what if she didn’t wear her seatbelt, and realizes that the seatbelt is what saved her life and she thanks God for that.

Here are some personal thoughts from Kylee about her car accident and life:

When I got out of that car, I was just so thankful that I had my legs, fingers, arms. I had my body, I had my life. I always took everything for granted, wanting every little thing. I knew I wasn’t going to have a car after this but I know I have my life. I am very thankful for that. I know I had people watching over me and making sure I was going to be okay. Falling asleep each night, right now, is hard for me to do because every time I close my eyes I have flashbacks of the accident. Waking up every day from now on is so amazing just thanking God that I have my life. This accident is the scariest thing that ever happened in my life. I would just like to ask everyone to please “wear your seatbelt” because it saved my life and it could save yours, too. I would also like to thank my family, my friends, and God for always watching over me and being there. You all mean so much to me and I love you all. God Bless All of You!

~ Kylee Bittner