ARLINGTON – Ethan Mathers dug into his plate of beef ribs, chicken pot pie and bread, surrounded by a group of beaming firefighters.
The last time they had seen Ethan, the 15-year-old was clinging to his life.
“It’s kind of a miracle,” paramedic Chris Dickinson said.
Ethan, who lives in Arlington, leapt from a bridge into the Stillaguamish River the afternoon of July 23. Then another boy jumped from the bridge and landed on him.
Ethan, knocked out, sank to the bottom of the river. Witnesses estimated he was there more than eight minutes before an Arlington man pulled him to shore.
On Tuesday, Ethan went with his father, Dillon Mathers, to the Arlington Fire Department to thank the people who helped save his life.
Scott Anderson, the man who pulled him from the river, was also there. He has been considered a member of the Mathers family since the accident.
“I owe my life to you guys,” Ethan told them.
Ethan has no memory of the accident, and he barely remembers waking up in the hospital.
The teen lost 10 pounds during his four days at Harborview Medical Center and Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle.
He could taste the “muddy, stinky” taste of river bottom for days.
Other than that, he’s fine, his father said.
“Thank you guys so much, thanks for being there,” Dillon Mathers told his son’s rescuers.
Others also helped save the teen’s life.
Someone on the bridge spotted Ethan under water. As Anderson dragged him to shore, several people took the teen from his arms as Anderson collapsed. Someone else called 911.
Two women with medical backgrounds started CPR on Ethan. They kept going until firefighters arrived.
“If you volunteer to save someone’s life, you don’t stop unless your life depends on it,” Anderson said.
Arlington Fire Chief Jim Rankin said emergency workers rely on people such as Anderson to act when they see people in danger.
Ethan probably would have died if people had just waited for the fire department to come, Rankin said.
“Our analysis is that it’s a damn good thing you were there,” he said to Anderson.
In the hospital, Anderson told Ethan his heroic act came with a price: He told Ethan he could never smoke, drink, do drugs or jump off any more bridges.
That didn’t mean Ethan approved of Anderson’s sampling one of his beef ribs Tuesday night.
“Hey, not cool,” the teen said.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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