Idaho firefighter wounded in ambush stable after third surgery, faces long recovery

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Coeur d’Alene Engineer Dave Tysdal, the sole survivor of the ambush on Canfield Mountain, remains in the ICU but is off a ventilator and able to speak

By Alexandra Duggan
The Spokesman-Review

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — A firefighter-engineer who was shot and seriously injured in a brazen ambush-style attack on Canfield Mountain on Sunday is facing a long recovery, according to a news release from Coeur d’Alene Fire Department.

Dave Tysdal, with the city fire department, was the only firefighter in Sunday’s attack to survive after being shot. Local Idaho battalion chiefs, 42-year-old Frank Harwood and 52-year-old John Morrison, were killed.

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The three had responded to a wildfire on the mountain around 1:21 p.m. that day, and broadcast they were being shot at around 2 p.m. The fallen firemen were transported back to Idaho from the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday in a formal procession.

Officials have since identified the shooter as 20-year-old Wess Roley.

Tysdal underwent a third successful surgery Wednesday, the news release said. He was previously using a ventilator due to his severe chest trauma, but is now off the ventilator and able to talk. Tysdal remains in the intensive care unit in stable condition, according to the release.

Tysdal also suffered spinal trauma in the shooting, but doctors remain “optimistic.” He has a long recovery ahead, the department said in the release.

The Red and Blue Foundation has set up a donation link specifically for the families of the fallen firefighters, but also for Tysdal’s recovery, according to the nonprofit’s website. The foundation is locally based and meant to assist first responders in accessing mental health care and other resources.

Senate Bill 466, passed by the House, would allow job training credits to count toward Firefighter I Certification and grant EMS agencies a grace period for state reporting