Vantage Bridge jumper saved by Grant PUD
A view of the Vantage Bridge over the Columbia River. A retired Spokane doctor jumped from the bridge Tuesday during a failed suicide attempt. State Department of Transportation/courtesy photo
VANTAGE — A retired Spokane doctor who jumped 75 feet off the Vantage Bridge during a suicide attempt lived thanks to a group of Grant County PUD employees.
Hydro employees Curt Brewer, Steve Horner, Brian Saunders and Lewis Schooler responded to the emergency by launching a rescue boat into the Columbia River Tuesday, Sarah Morford, a utility spokesperson, said Thursday.
Employees Chuck Hansen, Jessee Martin and Farrell Coulson were also ready to be first responders at the boat launch if the ambulance hadn’t responded immediately, she explained.
“We’re extremely proud of our employees,” says Morford. “They’re to be commended for putting their training into practice and saving a life.”
Mike Kerr, chief powerplant operator at Wanapum Dam, was also on duty that day.
Kerr was speaking with the Multi Agency Communications Center (MACC), which notified the Wanapum Dam control room of the emergency.
MACC provided the PUD with a description of the man who jumped.
PUD foreman Steve Koziol dispatched the PUD boat. An officer believed to be from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office directed the boat’s crew to the man in the water.
“With 36 degree water and 35 minutes in the water, you better buy a Lotto ticket if you plan on surviving,” Kerr said. “It’s unbelievable this guy lived.”
Despite the choppy water, “the response was phenomenal,” he noted. He also commended MACC for their work.
In the span of 35 minutes, the 63-year-old man was spotted, picked up by the PUD boat and loaded into an ambulance, according to the Wanapum Dam log.
Kittitas County Sheriff Gene Dana confirmed the man is a retired doctor from Spokane, who is now receiving mental health care.
Kittitas County Fire Protection District 2 also responded.