At Saturday's appreciation event for first responders, a couple shared their inspirational message as survivors of a traumatic, fatal event at the cottage on Jackfish Lake.
"My husband was my first responder and my hero," said Terry Dakin, who was struck by lightning in 2008. Their son Blaine was also struck. He did not survive.
"I believe in my heart that my wife is a miracle from God," said Ken.
The Dakins were invited guests at the Battlefords Ministerial Association First Responders Appreciation event held at St. Vital Parish in Battleford. They were introduced by Pastor Al Huckabay of Living Faith Chapel.
Ken began the story.
"I spent 35 years in the Mounted Police and we retired here in North Battleford and have been here for almost 24 years," he said. "In my service, I probably attended about 150 to 200 deaths either by murders, suicides and mostly traffic accidents. However, on the 14th of June, 2008, at 5:40 our family became victims when our son and my wife were struck by lightning."
It was an emotional presentation.
"The day was a blur, but it was as clear as a bell, it moved at a thousands of miles an hour and two miles an hour for me, because part of me said, 'Respond!' which I did, and the other part was a grieving parent because I knew instantly my son was gone, but my heart would not let me acknowledge that," he said. "My daughter was there as well and she came and said, 'Dad, go to Mom.'"
He saw them both lying on the ground within six feet of each.
"Their eyeballs were fractured and no response from either one," he said. "I got on the ground on my knees beside my wife and prayed to the Lord."
His training as a first responder also kicked in. There was movement in her leg so he began CPR.
"It seemed like forever as I checked her pulse, did CPR, and nothing was responding," said Ken. "While that was happening, the response from the police and the ambulance service was in motion. It seemed like forever, but they were there in 22 minutes, and it's about 25 miles from town to our cottage."
There had also been a fatal accident at the corner of the road that comes across from the south side of the lake and Highway 4, he added, so they had to go around and through Meota.
Meanwhile, the Dakins' neighbours had come to their aid.
"It wasn't long before our neighbours were there – Peter and Carmen Hogger were super, Glen and Eva Wouters, and Eva is no longer with us, but God bless her … Eva was a nurse and attended to Terry."
The police and ambulance arrived and Ken said they went to the hospital, where they still were at 1:30 a.m. Many people came in to give them support, he said.
"When you are a responder you do what you are trained to do, but when you are victim, you're in shock, and very appreciative of the people that attend."
Terry was in intensive care for five days.
"I wasn't sure what was going happen there," said Ken.
She spent a further seven days in the hospital after leaving intensive care.
"It's been seven plus years and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of our son and appreciate the people that responded," he said. "And by the Grace of God we get by."
No one was at the Saturday event had been at that scene back then, but Ken said, "I tip my hat to them because they gave us as much support as they possibly could."
He said, "I just thank every one of you here that do the job that I did once. I appreciate it. Keep up the good work."
Terry spoke as well, although she began by saying it was not going to be easy for her, so she had written down what she wanted to say.
"June 14, 2008 was a day that changed my life forever," she said. "My son and I were struck by lightning. He died instantly and I was saved by my husband and his prayers."
Not only did her husband save her, she said, but God spared her.
Terry said, "I don't have any memory of the events that happened except for my husband bringing me back after two different attempts of CPR. The last I remember is my son Blaine telling me to watch for nails so the chainsaw wouldn't hit them. We were cutting up the old deck."
The next thing she remembers is Ken slapping her face to bring me back.
"I do remember asking what happened. He told me that Blaine and I had been hit by lightning and our son was gone. That was the end for me. I must have passed out because I have no memory of anything else until I was woken up on a gurney in the hospital with my family and my husband telling me to say goodbye to our son."
She said she thanks God and her husband for saving her, and thanked their daughter Melanie and friends and neighbours for being there for them and helping out in their time of crisis.
"They were all our first responders until the ambulance and the police got to our cabin 22 minutes later to take over," she said. "I want to show my appreciate for my husband and thank him for his training. He took over like a professional, secondly a husband and a dad."
Terry added, "I want to show my appreciation for everyone involved, police, EMTs for doing their jobs. Without the help of these hard-working people what would we do?"
She also extended appreciation to the doctors and nurses who looked after her while she was in the hospital.
"I will never get over the death of our son Blaine," she said. "He will always be a wonderful memory to us. I plan on seeing him again. They say time heals, but it's always there, no matter what. We learn to live with it and handle our grief one day at a time."
