Quick thinking, response save man's life

SANDPOINT - Training and a coordinated response are credited with saving the life of a local man who plunged a knife into his chest in a crowded downtown bar early Wednesday morning.

The suicide attempt at the 219 Lounge was reported at 12:40 a.m. The unidentified man was taken to Bonner General Health and flown to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, according to Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon.

"It was a serious injury," Coon said.

The man underwent surgery and is reportedly recovering.

"He's still in intensive care, but the surgery went well," 219 manager Mike Ruskey said on Wednesday afternoon.

The man was drinking with friends and appeared to be in good spirits, said Ruskey, who reviewed video footage of the incident captured by the bar's high-definition surveillance system.

"He's laughing, joking and having a good time. He gets a phone call and his demeanor changed immediately. You could just see it," Ruskey said.

The man eventually pulled a folding knife from his pocket and drove it into his chest. He did it a second time, but with vastly greater force, Ruskey said.

His companions wanted to withdraw the knife, but the bar's security told them to leave it in place.

The decision likely helped save the man's life, because it kept him from bleeding to death.

"Anytime you have a wound like that, you want to leave it in," said Coon, who was advised that the blade stayed in the man's chest until he reached the hospital in Spokane.

A bartender cleared the bar and moved tables to the side so Bonner County EMS personnel would have unobstructed access to the patient.

Ruskey credits the positive outcome of the incident to trained staff, the life-saving efforts of emergency personnel and swift response from police.

"It was a team effort," he said.