Drew Kennison, a deputy with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, returned home from a rehabilitation facility on Wednesday, March 8 after he was injured in a weather-related accident on Feb. 22.
Kennison, a 14-year veteran with the department, had his leg amputated above the knee after a snow-laden tree fell on his vehicle in Skamania County.
“Thank you again to everyone who reached out in any way to support Drew and his family over the last two weeks,” stated the sheriff’s office on social media. “Drew, rest easy, take your time, and we will see you back out there soon enough.”
To welcome Kennison, the Pioneer Street overpass in Ridgefield was lined with patrol cars from various agencies like the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Ridgefield Police Department, Cowlitz Tribal Police, the Washington State Patrol and others as Kennison rode by on his way home. The Carty Road overpass to the south was lined with numerous fire and EMS personnel.
Other overpasses on Interstate 5 in Clark County were also lined with first responders who greeted Kennison.
“Drew is really doing amazingly well considering everything and is in really good spirits,” the sheriff’s office stated in a release. “His attitude and determination have been inspiring to everyone who has gone to visit him.”
In a letter released to the community, Kennison said he has a long road ahead of him. He thanked those who assisted him during and after his accident.
“To the members of the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT Team, the Skamania County Public Utilities District (PUD) #1 work crew, Camas Washougal Fire and Rescue, AMR, the residents, and neighbors of the area of Washougal River Road and Salmon Falls Road, and to the dispatcher who passed vital information, thank you for saving my life,” Kennison stated in the letter.
On Feb. 22, it took 45 minutes for fire and EMS personnel to arrive at the crash scene on Washougal River Road in Skamania County following Kennison’s accident. Colleagues with the Southwest Regional SWAT Team applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and also stabilized Kennison’s damaged arm and shoulder.
The PUD crew and neighbors in the area were able to remove the large section of tree that fell on his vehicle. After fire crews were able to extract Kennison from his vehicle, he was transported by ambulance since the weather wouldn’t allow for Life Flight to respond.
In his letter, Kennison shared words of appreciation with his family members.
“To my beautiful wife, Leah, who spoke to me on the phone while I was still enroute to the hospital, and who was waiting for me there with strength, thank you for saving my life,” Kennison wrote.
Kennison also thanked the medical staff who played a vital role in saving his life. Following the crash, he was transported from PeaceHealth Southwest in Vancouver to Legacy Emanuel in Portland.
“To all those in the community who reached out, with kind words or acts, to support me and my family, thank you. The support and encouragement you have provided over the last week has been so helpful and appreciated,” Kennison wrote. “I know there’s no way I can repay those for the ongoing support and the roles so many played in saving my life. I’m not sure why I’m still alive, but I know there’s a plan for me, and that plan is going to be incredible, and I hope that, although I can’t repay you, I can make all your efforts worth it someday.”
Anyone who wants to donate to Kennison and his family can do so online at unionly.io/o/ccdsg/donations-for-drew.
