Montana hero saves life

ANACORTES – Motana firefighter Drew Hoel, and his wife Beth, took a vacation to Washington to visit with friends. 

But instead of doing nothing but relaxing, Hoel did something extremely important: He helped save a life.

On June 14 Drew Hoel and his friend Brandon Burgess went on a fishing trip in Anacortes, Washington.

But the two friends never got off the boat ramp. As Hoel and Burgess were launching their boat on the Skagit River just after 8 a.m., the men notice another boat coming into their ramp oddly, said Lake County Rural Fire Department Supporter Marret Christiansen. 

Hoel quickly realized that the boat driver was steering his boat onto the ramp with one hand and performing chest compressions with the other.

Hoel jumped out of his truck and waded into the water, grabbed the boat and hauled it up on the boat ramp, Christiansen said. 

Hoel pulled the patient out of the boat onto the ramp and started Cardio Pulmonary Respiration.

When Mount Vernon emergency medical personnel arrived on scene Hoel assisted with CPR and airway bagging, Christiansen said.

The patient is alive, but in ICU as of Christiansen’s last update.

The Mount Vernon Fire Chief Roy Hari came to scene and commended Hoel on his actions.

“It is nice to know that our local volunteer firefighters don’t do this just for the glory of driving trucks with lights and sirens,” Christiansen said.

“They really care about others and will give up their vacation to save a life.”

Hoel was honored at  the Sept. 10 Polson Rural Fire District meeting with a plaque that celebrated his out-of-state service.