FARGO (KFGO) – The last time they saw each other was almost five months ago, when Richard Reidhammer helped to save the lives of a man named Terry and his dog Lulu before the pick-up they were in sunk to the bottom of Hobart Lake. Today the three reunited at the Fargo headquarters of the North Dakota Highway Patrol to recognize Reidhammer’s heroic actions that early-summer evening.
Reidhammer and another man, Wesley Kern, both of Moorhead, were given the Colonel’s Award for Excellence from the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the Lifesaving Award from the North Dakota Peace Officers Association for their actions on June 5.
The incident began when a 64-year-old man named Terry, who was headed west on I-94 near Valley City, had a medical emergency and lost control of his pick-up. The pick-up crossed through the median and the east bound lanes and into the lake, floating out 30-40 feet from shore.
Reidhammer was on his way home from work, driving truck for the Country Hearth bread company, when he saw the pick-up go into the lake. He and Kern both stopped and swam out into the lake to help. Reidhammer said he could see a man and his dog in the cab of the pick-up from the shore and he called 911, but when the dispatcher told him emergency responders were seven minutes away he knew the pick-up would sink before they got there and he needed to go in.
When the men reached the pick-up, they said Terry was disoriented but conscious. Kern guided Terry into shore while Reidhammer swam back to retrieve Terry’s dog Lulu, who was still in the vehicle. Reidhammer said the water was cold and he had scratches from Lulu clinging to his back as he towed the dog into shore, but he was happy to help.
“I always like to engage if I see trouble – just the way I’m wired I guess,” Reidhammer said.
State patrol Captain Bryan Niewind, who presented the awards, said knowing people like Reidhammer and Kern are out there is a comfort to him.
“There’s lots of heroes in this world – some of them wear uniforms like the men and women I work with who are out there everyday doing their job, what we’ve signed up to do – but we have heroes among us as well. When we’re at a crash scene and there’s incident going on – there always seem to be people stopping, especially here in North Dakota. And they don’t wear a uniform, but they’re out there and they want to help others, and for us that’s really special, because we know we’re not out there alone,” Niewind said.
The driver, Terry, said he was grateful he didn’t hurt anyone else, and expressed his deep gratitude for Reidhammer and Kern’s actions that day. He was especially appreciative that Reidhammer saved Lulu, a two-and-a-half year-old Bernedoodle.
“The reason I got her is because I lost my son, so she’s pretty special to me,” Terry said. “She’s my companion to get me through that time.”
Lulu spent most of the ceremony resting at Terry’s feet, but nuzzled into Reidhammer’s lap as he described the day. Terry said Lulu is fine riding in cars now, but skittish around the water since the accident.
Besides Terry, Lulu, and Niewind, Daniel Andersen, the responding trooper on June 5, Reidhammer’s wife, some family friends, and his supervisors at Country Hearth were present for the presentation.
Reidhammer said he invited Terry to join him at Red Lobster for lunch after the ceremony.
Kern was unable to make it to the ceremony at the last minute. Niewind said Kern will be honored in person at a later date.