Jumper's daughter thanks Grant PUD

EPHRATA — The daughter of a retired Spokane doctor who attempted suicide on Feb. 10 wrote a letter thanking four Grant County PUD employees for saving her dad’s life.

The 64-year-old man lived after jumping 75 feet off the Vantage Bridge.

The letter was addressed to the PUD employees in the rescue boat, Lewis Schooler, Brian Saunders, Curt Brewer and Steven Horner.

The woman’s father retired in October and apparently fell into a deep depression, she stated in a letter recently released by the utility.

“In 20 minutes, he floated a mile downstream and his body temperature dropped to 84 degrees,” she wrote.

“But you heroic men on the Grant County PUD boat fished him out and got him back in an ambulance and medical attention as soon as possible … because of all of you brave people, he is going to get help and live.”

“If another 20 minutes had gone by before anyone reached him, he would be dead,” she wrote. “No matter what you do with the rest of your lives, you can always be proud of the fact that you saved another human being’s life, and that he had a family who is eternally indebted to you.”

The day of his suicide attempt, he was driving to an appointment in Grant County. Instead, he stayed on Interstate 90 and drove to the Vantage Bridge in nearby Kittitas County.

The daughter stated her dad doesn’t smoke, drink or take drugs. His is married with children and grandchildren.

He broke his back from the jump and is now recovering from hypothermia and frostbite, according to the letter.