Rescue

Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes they wear fatigues. U.S. Army 2nd Lt. David Hooge, 35, a National Guardsman out of Camp Grafton, was lucky to be in the right place at the right time on Monday, July 29 to save a woman’s life after she crashed in the lake near Devils Lake, ND, south of Highway 20.

Hooge, who is from Munich, said he was driving south on Highway 20 with his wife, Charlotte. He looked in his sideview mirror and saw a car swerving. The car hit the other side of the guardrail and crashed into the water.

Hooge pulled over and sprang into action. While his wife called 911, he grabbed a rock in case a window needed to be broken and saw a female driver behind the wheel.

Hooge said the female driver appeared disoriented. He couldn’t open the driver’s side door. He smashed the backdoor window with the rock and was able to unlock that door. Time was of the essence as water poured into the car. She was able to crawl to the backseat and he was able to open the door enough for her to get out and bring her to shore.

A volunteer EMT as well, Hooge said he did a quick assessment to see if the driver had any head trauma and her mental status.

“She was a little bit confused but she was becoming more coherent. She just blacked out,” he told the Journal.

Without Hooge’s quick thinking and selflessness, this could’ve been a fatal ending.

“I feel good I was able to do this. I was able to help her and save her life,” he said. “If I wasn’t there I hope someone else would’ve been able to help. I’m grateful I had an opportunity to help this world be a little bit brighter… It’s just another reassurance that I’m doing the right thing and doing the good thing.”

While Hooge and the lady he saved didn’t have time to exchange information, he saw on a Spirit Lake Facebook page comments praising his heroic act. “I’m very grateful for the kind words they’ve said about me. I just really hope they’re doing well and they didn’t have to go through the sorrow of losing a parent and losing a child.”

Photo of Hooge courtesy of North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs.