By Roberta Simonson
The Spokesman-Review
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. 鈥� About a month ago, Brad Holyoak, 65, collapsed face-first into his bathtub.
He had suffered cardiac arrest and lost consciousness. His wife called 911, and Spokane Valley firefighters were able to reach him in minutes.
鈥淭hey honestly didn鈥檛 think he was gonna make it,鈥� Patrick Erickson, Spokane Valley Fire Department spokesman, said of the first responders.
He did, and Tuesday morning, Holyoak visited Spokane Valley Fire Station 10 to thank the crew that saved his life and to raise awareness about the work they do.
It wasn鈥檛 his first time visiting the station, Erickson said. Holyoak had shown up weeks after the incident to thank the crew, but three of the four firefighters who saved him weren鈥檛 there.
鈥淗e wanted to make sure the whole crew got to see him,鈥� Erickson said.
On top of Tuesday鈥檚 visit at the station, the crew surprised Holyoak last week, stopping by his home just four blocks from the fire station, to check on him.
Firefighter Nick Pendergrass was among the crew that responded to the call and was at the fire station Tuesday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not normal to have someone knock on the door and say, 鈥楬ey, you guys saved my life,鈥� 鈥� Pendergrass said. The event was a first for Pendergrass.
A lot of the time, first responders don鈥檛 know what happens to the people they are called to save; they鈥檙e always moving on to the next call, he said.
Holyoak鈥檚 visit 鈥渕eans a lot to our firefighters, especially when it鈥檚 a positive outcome like this,鈥� Erickson said.
Holyoak鈥檚 wife, Julie Holyoak, wasn鈥檛 surprised when her husband told her he was going to visit the station.
鈥淚 kind of knew he would ... it鈥檚 just the way he is,鈥� she said.
All that鈥檚 left of Brad Holyoak鈥檚 fall is a small bruise on his face. Half of his face used to be black and blue, he said.
Pendergrass said Brad Holyoak is lucky to be alive.
鈥淰ery lucky, very lucky to come back from that one,鈥� he said.
Despite waking up in the hospital just a month earlier, Brad Holyoak was happy and cracking jokes at the fire station Tuesday.
Holyoak, in a camouflage 鈥淰ietnam Vet鈥� ball cap, took a look around the station鈥檚 garage. There were a few emergency vehicles, a line of red lockers down one wall and a row of jackets down another.
鈥淲here鈥檚 your pole?鈥� he asked Erickson. Erickson told him they don鈥檛 have a pole, and they don鈥檛 have Dalmatians either.
Holyoak joked about his fall 鈥� which he doesn鈥檛 remember.
鈥淲as I holding up a peace sign?鈥� he asked his wife. 鈥淒id I have my hat on?鈥� The answer to both questions was no.
He joked about falling into an empty bathtub. Pendergrass told him it鈥檚 not particularly uncommon.
鈥淎 lot of times they decide to fall in places we don鈥檛 want them to fall into,鈥� Pendergrass said of the people they save.
But Brad Holyoak was all seriousness when he spoke of the firefighters who saved his life.
鈥淚 was dead and they brought me back to life, and that鈥檚 something I won鈥檛 forget,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 call my wife an angel, but these guys are angels, too.鈥�
Holyoak said it鈥檚 important to show appreciation for first responders.
鈥淭hank them for what they do; they鈥檙e special people,鈥� he said.
(c)2024 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)
Visit The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) at www.spokesman.com
Distributed by