By Thomas Clouse
The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Medical crews on Tuesday transferred Coeur d’Alene Fire Department engineer David Tysdal, who suffered severe injuries in the shooting that killed two of his colleagues, to a facility in Colorado that specializes in helping patients recover from spinal injuries.
Tysdal, 47, survived the shooting on June 29 that killed battalion chiefs John Morrison, 52, of Coeur d’Alene, and 42-year-old Frank Harwood, of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.
However, Tysdal had not been able to move below his chest. He suffered a shotgun wound that entered his back, collapsed a lung, broke ribs and destroyed his clavicle, or collar bone.
Coeur d’Alene firefighter Erik Loney said it’s believed that the swelling around his spine was why Tysdal could not move his extremities.
“On Sunday, he was able to voluntarily wiggle the toes on his left foot. He still can’t lift his leg yet, but he’s wiggling his toes, which is a good sign,” Loney said. “It’s the best news we’ve had out of this.”
On Tuesday, the department transferred Tysdal from Kootenai Health hospital to a specialized facility in Colorado which Loney declined to name for privacy reasons.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation into the shooting, in which 20-year-old Wess Roley has been identified as the shooter. He was found dead at the scene. It’s not yet clear when Sheriff John Norris intends to release the findings of the probe.
But for Tysdal, his workmates were happy to report progress.
“We are just so grateful that he’s going to a place where he can get the help he needs,” Loney said.
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