Wisconsin First Responder of the Year: Colfax woman rescues 4-year-old from septic tank
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FIRST RESPONDER OF THE YEAR — Colfax resident Heather Morning received a First Responder of the Year Award in Madison October 17 for her role in rescuing a four-year-old boy who had fallen into a septic tank last April. She is a firefighter/paramedic with the Eau Claire Fire Department. From left: Lewis Norman, Heather’s father, who also is a veteran of the Vietnam War; Peyton Morning, Heather’s husband; Heather Morning; Heather’s mother, Susan Norman; and Captain Kary Krebs, Heather’s uncle, who is a Vietnam Veteran as well and who has served his local fire department in Shirland, Illinois, since 1968. Heather’s son, Gabriel, is pictured in the foreground. —photo submitted
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — It was a chilly day last April when Heather Morning found herself being lowered into a septic tank head first.
Morning, a firefighter/paramedic with the Eau Claire Fire Department who is a Colfax resident, was on duty when a call came in reporting that a four-year-old child had fallen into a septic tank.
“We moved to Colfax in 2002, and we built a home off of Highway M, so we have lived here for 22 years,” said Morning, who is the daughter of Susan and Lewis Norman.
Morning has been a firefighter/paramedic for 14 years and recently retired from the Eau Claire Fire Department after almost 10 years of service.
“The call came in as a four-year-old trapped in a septic tank. We initially were thinking it might not be that bad, without knowing any additional information,” she said.
“The four-year-old was at a home daycare, and he was outside playing while the babysitter was picking up sticks in the yard. He was jumping on top of the septic tank lid, which had been replaced the year prior,” Morning said.
The daycare, located in rural Eau Claire County, had a very old septic system that had undergone some repairs, she said, adding that the youngster had played by jumping on the septic tank lid before and nothing had happened.
“This time the lid disintegrated, and the boy fell 12 feet down a 21-inch opening. The babysitter had her phone on her and quickly called 911, which ultimately saved this boy’s life that we were dispatched so quickly,” Morning said.
Group effort
By the time Morning and her partner arrived, a farmer had been trying to rescue the boy.
“When we got on scene, it was pretty desperate. A farmer on scene had lowered a silo loader [tractor bucket] down to the boy and tried to lift him out with the boy holding on to the rope, but due to the weight of his heavy saturated clothes, and him being so small, he could not hold on,” Morning said.
As luck would have it — if that’s how you want to think of it — the April day was cold, and the boy was wearing a winter coat.
“They tried this twice, and he kept falling back in, being submerged in the sewage. The boy was unable to touch bottom and could not swim, [but] his winter jacket seemed to keep him floating to the top every time he fell in,” Morning said.
“It was in April and very cold. The boy had been down there for 10 minutes before we arrived as it was out in the county. We arrived on scene, and my partner, who also won an award, tried to access the opening by going down the rope ladder feet first, but he was too large to fit without going down and knocking the boy down further,” she said.
Morning and her partner, Nathan Much, along with Engineer EMT Scott Mohr, received First Responder of the Year awards in Madison last month.
Hold my feet
“I told my partner, Nathan Much, to hold my feet. I am going down there. Tie a rope around me, around anything on me,” Morning said.
“The boy was slowly losing his grip, and the situation was desperate. [Much] quickly tied a rope around my waist, and the farmer who had lowered the silo rope to the boy, which was his only life line as he could not touch the bottom and was holding onto this ladder,” she said.
“The farmer had hold of the rope, and my partner, along with an Eau Claire County sheriff’s deputy, held my legs as I was lowered down head first to reach the boy,” Morning said.
“I was able to successfully grab his little hand with mine, and his jacket with the other hand, and pull him to me — and then I yelled up to my partner to pull me up,” Morning said.
“The whole incident took only four minutes once we were on scene. We moved very quickly as the boy was getting very weak and hypothermic. He has made a full recovery,” she said.
Hypothermia, of course, is a medical emergency. When the body’s temperature falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, hypothermia can lead to heart and respiratory failure.
Same page
Morning said she had worked with Much for nine years.
“Without him [and me] both being on the same page, the boy would not be here today. We did not follow protocol as this was a life and death situation,” she said.
“I was very lucky to have a like-minded partner that day who would have done anything to save that boy,” she said.
“I could not bear the thought of that family having to be planning a funeral for their little boy.
Very tragic. Without the quick actions of the babysitter, the farmer and law enforcement, he would not be here today. They all played a part — a big part for this young man,” Morning said.
Morning and the other emergency personnel on the scene immediately began emergency treatment for the boy. He was transported to a local hospital and has since made a full recovery.
Morning became a firefighter in 2010. Her fire chief, Joel Smith of Sand Creek Fire, encouraged her to go through paramedic training.
“I have always been inspired to help and love the rescue part of the job,” Morning said.
68th Assembly District
According to a news release from state Representative Karen Hurd (R-Fall Creek) (68th Assembly District), Rep. Hurd presented Eau Claire Fire Department Firefighter Paramedic Heather Morning, Firefighter Paramedic Nathan Much, and Engineer EMT Scott Mohr with the 2023 “First Responders of the Year” award during the Assembly floor session on Tuesday, October 17.
The state Assembly honored Heather, Nathan, and Scott in a public ceremony with other recipients from across the state.
The “First Responder of the Year” award was created in 2019 to recognize the brave men and women who serve in our emergency services. State representatives from each legislative district seek nominations from their communities and select one individual who best exemplifies community service, selflessness and dedication.
The list of recipients from this year included police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, and all levels of EMS personnel, according to the news release.
