Shoreline Firefighter receives Distinguished Public Service Award

Ainsley is alive because of Eric Zender
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire

Shoreline Firefighter Eric Zender has been given the Highest Civilian Honor and Distinguished Public Service Medal by Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue. Zender received the medal for his rescue and resuscitation of a four year old girl at Denny Creek on July 4th.

Snoqualmie Pass Deputy Chief Matt Cowan presented Zender with the Public Service Medal, and said that his actions that day were nothing short of miraculous.

Shoreline’s Fire Chief Mark Bunje also expressed his pride and gratitude.

“What Eric did that day on the mountain was truly an act of heroism and extreme perseverance and competence”, Bunje said. “Eric’s unceasing efforts clearly proved that CPR works, and that every citizen should know CPR, and understand how it can turn a tragic situation around.”

“While Eric is an incredibly good firefighter and EMT, he saved a child’s life as a citizen, not a professional responder. He did it without medical equipment, supplies, or assistance. Those are the skills we teach civilians because they can make a huge difference,” the Chief added.

In the four months since the incident, Zender has re-united with the little girl, named Ainsley, and has met with her parents and talked through the stress of that incredible day.

Ainsley with Eric Zender
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire

The full story of the incident is recounted below, written by Shoreline Fire’s Melanie Granfors and Michael Coolidge.

On July 4th 2011, off-duty Shoreline Firefighter Eric Zender, his wife Marcy, and another couple were enjoying a hike along Denny Creek. At about two miles into the hike they stopped at a popular gathering area known as the waterslides.

Amid numerous families and children playing along with rocky portion of the river, Eric heard some commotion upstream, and asked a woman what was happening. He thought she said someone had lost their keys. Eric was puzzled as to why it was causing shouts and screams, and then the woman clarified: someone had lost their kid.

The child’s father was standing nearby, frozen in shock. With his 20 month old daughter in a backpack, he was repeating that his four year old daughter, Ainsley, was pulled out of his hand and washed away in the swift and icy water.

Eric saw a man jump into the river, get caught by the raging current, and tossed about 30 feet to a pool below. Eric jumped in and was quickly washed downstream about 30-40 feet as well. The men in the water were attempting to grab anything they could to fight the current, and to try and feel below them for the body of the little girl. They used a dog’s leash and their bare hands, battling the icy current and increasing panic.

One man, Jason Mark, was caught under a log trap. He managed to climb out onto the logs and, with his foot, he could feel the child’s leg caught between the logs, her head and body under water.

It took at least 3 people to move the massive logs so that she could be pulled out.

Jason pulled her free — her clothes and shoes torn off by the current – and handed her body to Eric. Ainsley had been underwater for more than 15 minutes. She had no pulse and was not breathing. Eric immediately started CPR.

The sun had gone down behind the mountain. It was cold, wet and getting dark.

Eric never thought of stopping CPR – even when it appeared almost futile. He was in a full court press – refusing help from bystanders, determined to turn this potentially horrible outcome around.

After about 30 minutes Eric saw something that changed his life forever: The child’s skin began pinking up. She took a few struggling breaths on her own.

After nearly 45 minutes of compressions and mouth-to-mouth respirations, her pulse returned. Eric continued assisting her breaths with rescue breathing – and a short while later she was breathing on her own.

Jason assisted Eric keeping the airway clear, and dealt with crowd control.

Eric’s wife, Marcy, immobilized the child’s neck and spine. The friends Phil and Callie were now on the phone with 9-1-1 dispatchers, providing a running commentary on what was happening at the remote location as fire and EMS crews hiked the 2 miles toward them.

When the rescue crews arrived – Eric had prepared her for transport, and Ainsley was carried back down the mountain and then picked up by Airlift Northwest and taken to Harborview.

Later that night she was transferred to Children’s Hospital. Days and nights of agonizing ups and downs in the ICU ended one week later, when Ainsley was up and about and able to go home.

She has fully recovered, with no memory of that near-tragic day.

Many people have called it a miracle, and it was -- in numerous ways. But it was also because of the incredible strength, determination, skill and heroism of Eric Zender and the other men who jumped into the water that day.

The miracle happened because CPR works… and it works miraculously sometimes. And Eric Zender started it, administered it competently and continued unceasingly for 45 minutes, and literally brought a child back to life.