HUMBOLDT — Kim Houdashelt, 64, of Humboldt, was identified as the victim of a drowning over the weekend in the Neosho River near Humboldt.
In a moving report, Humboldt Police Chief Shannon Moore relayed Saturday’s events leading to Houdashelt’s drowning, and the harrowing rescue of his 7-year-old grandson.
Moore said Houdashelt and his grandson had gone to the Neosho River Park Saturday morning, an activity they’d done many times previously.
At about 10:27 a.m., dispatchers were notified that the child, whose name has not been released, had fallen into the river from the dam, and Houdashelt had jumped in after the child.
Humboldt Police Lt. Ty Wooden and Officer Kason Siemens arrived at the scene, and saw the child bobbing in the water.
Siemens shed his gear and swam out to the boy, pulling him to the shallows, at which time he handed the boy off to volunteer firefighter Kent Goodner.
From there, other volunteer firefighters took the youngster up the bank to get him to the landing, where he was taken in an ambulance to Allen County Regional Hospital, and later transferred to Children’s Mercy Hospital, in Kansas City, Mo. The child was released from the hospital Sunday night.
ALL THE WHILE, Humboldt volunteer firefighter Reece Criger, who had a rope tied around his body, swam into the water to reach Houdashelt, where both were pulled back to shore.
Crews immediately began administering CPR. Houdashelt was taken to ACRH, and then transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.
Houdashelt died Sunday evening.
“Kim made the greatest sacrifice to save his grandson by giving his life in exchange,” Moore said in the press release. “And that is just the way Kim lived his life, to always put others before himself.”
Moore also praised the efforts of the first responders. “They gave their best efforts that morning to bring both subjects out of the Neosho River alive,” she said. “But even the best efforts weren’t enough when fighting the Neosho, because she gives a lot but also takes a lot in return.”
Moore noted Siemens was on his second day of training with the Humboldt Police Department. “He performed the truly selfless act of jumping into the river to save the 7-year-old …without giving it a second thought.”
Others on the scene to assist were the Iola Police Department, Allen County Sheriff’s Office, Iola Fire Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks and Allen County EMS.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donors are asked to contribute to USD 258 to fund CPR classes to local youth.
