Posted: 1/9/08
My heroes
NB resident rescued by teens on subzero day
 Darlene Cich, center, is surrounded by her rescuers, Nathan Bachman and Bryan Harding. On Jan. 2, she lay freezing on the cold driveway waiting for someone to hear her cries for help. She got locked out of her home while retrieving the daily paper. |
By MaryHelen Swanson
"It was scary, very, very scary. I knew I was freezing," said the petite, 71-year-old Darlene Cich as she sat warm and safe on her living room couch Sunday.
Cich had a narrow escape with death the day after New Years. She was rescued by the neighbor boy and his friend, very near in the nick of time.
She believes the Lord sent her two angels.
Here's the story:
Lee Cich, Darlene's husband, didn't have anything going on, on the morning of Jan. 2, so he decided he was going to sleep in.
Somewhere close to 7 a.m., Darlene Cich woke up and decided to get the newspaper which is delivered to their house. The delivery person drives in their driveway and makes sure the paper is tossed up close to their door, so it's easy for them to get.
Lee woke when Darlene got out of bed, but fell back asleep when his wife left the room.
Even, Cocoa, the dog, didn't stir on this extremely cold second day of the new year. "She was snoring away," Darlene said.
Wearing only sock-like slippers and a robe over her nightgown, Darlene went all the way to the other end of the house to the door where the paper is delivered. As she stepped out to retrieve the paper, the door shut and the latch locked.
Darlene said her heart just sank, indicating with her hand against her stomach how she felt, knowing she was locked outside.
"I was kicking the door, making all kinds of noise," she said, looking at her husband, "you weren't hearing anything."
Darlene then thought if she could just get to the bedroom window she could wake Lee by pounding on the outside of the house.
So she walked down the driveway and across the front of their property in the street to their other driveway. But when she got to that driveway apron, she slipped and fell and hit her head. Hard.
Darlene has Muscular Dystrophy (MD), and she has little strength in her arms and legs, still she crawled on hands and knees about half-way up the driveway until she could go no further.
She may have laid there for as long as 30 minutes. "It was a long time," she said.
"My hands hurt the most," she recalled.
At 7:30 a.m., Bryan Harding came in his car to pick up Nathan Bachman, whose family lives right next to the Cich's.
Winter vacation was over and the boys were going back to school after the break. And it was a good thing they were.
When Darlene, who was extremely cold by now, heard voices, she thought to herself this was time to draw upon any strength she had and she began to yell for help.
Bryan was waiting in the car, but as Nathan exited his house, he heard her cry, dropped his school bag and went running through the deep snow to Darlene.
He yelled for Bryan to come over and he lifted Darlene to get her off the cold ground. Bryan jumped out of the car and ran to her also.
"She was pretty cold, " Bryan said. He took off his coat and put it around her.
Bryan then pounded on the side of the Cich's house to wake Lee.
"I thought God has sent two angels," Darlene said. And, looking at the two young men in her living room Sunday said, "he did."
It was about 7:45 a.m. when Lee got Darlene in the house. He had called 911 and the ambulance came and took her to the ER at Wyoming.
The boys, both seniors at NBHS, made it to school on time that day. They casually mentioned to a few what they had done before school.
Darlene suffered a severe blow to the head when she fell, and is sporting two shiners and a significant bruise on her forehead from the ordeal.
She feels extremely fortunate that the boys came to her rescue.
The memory of that morning is somewhat fuzzy, but she does remember that as she lay on the driveway, she heard another neighbor back out of his driveway, but it was cold, and heaters and blowers were on in cars that day. She called out to that person, but she doesn't blame that neighbor for not noticing or hearing her cries for help.
It appears her only chance for rescue that day may have been when Bryan came to pick up Nathan.
There is very little traffic on 9th Ave. and a diminutive woman laying on the ground could easily go unseen. She weighs only 76 pounds.
Nate believes the next time someone might have found her would have been about an hour later when his mother put the dog out.
They all agree that by then it might have been too late. Lee recorded the temperature that morning at 10 below.
The reunion of rescuers and rescued
Sunday afternoon, Bryan and Nathan came over to the Cich's house. There were hugs and handshakes all around. The two were polite and said they only did what they had to do.
"You kids did save my life," Darlene said.
What she remembers the most about the incident is somebody throwing a coat over her. "It was warm," she said.
"It's never going to happen again," Bryan told her, saying he's going to be looking for her every morning when he comes to pick up Nate.
And Nathan will probably never be able to come out that door without looking over to that driveway.
Lessons have been learned. The lock on the door was changed that very afternoon.
Darlene doesn't step outside now to retrieve the paper, she uses a long handled grabber.
The boys said their parents are very proud of them "and they should be," added Lee.
Lee and Darlene gave each young man a note of gratitude and a gift of appreciation for their act of kindness.
Darlene iterated, "You did save my life."
Lee understands how close he was to not having his wife by his side. He choked back his emotions as the boys thanked them for their gifts, humbly saying that's not why they helped her. The Cichs know that, they just are very grateful that winter vacation was over and two caring students were going back to school on the morning of Jan. 2.
"We said some extra prayers for you in church today," Lee said.
Comment from Terri Huston, 1/10/08
It is so humbling to know that these kids were there to help her! I really commend both of these kids for recognizing the situation and taking action! Great job!!!! I am very proud of them!
Comment from Pegi Weidendorf, 1/10/08
I am very proud of those 2 gentlemen. I work with Bryan's mom and assist Nate at the high school. I just heard about the 2 heroes when the paper came out. Nate didn't say a word. We are spreading the word at the school.
Comment from Lauri Snow, 1/15/08
I look for opportunities each day to teach my children to be "Good Samaritans". Your parents must be very proud! Thanks for caring guys!
Comment from Gary Wicklund, 1/15/08
What an uplifting story. Well written, great photos. Nathan & Bryan are to be commended!!! Thank you, MaryHelen, for a day brightener!
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