MCC-Blue River student has “lightning” quick reaction in Yellowstone

When one signs up for Ben Wolfe’s Geology Field Study class to northwest Wyoming, they are guaranteed an adventure of a lifetime, but for Metropolitan Community College student Maggie Siebert, that quickly became an adventure in saving a life.

An education student and soccer player at Maple Woods, Siebert enrolled in Section 199 of the Blue River Field Study, Earth Science for Elementary Teachers class.

“We got the brochures at Maple Woods, and it looked like a lot of fun; and it was 3 credit hours.” said Siebert about her motivation to take the class.

On June 2, the field study group of 13 students was working its way through Yellowstone National Park and was at its last stop of the day, Old Faithful, when a typical spring time storm erupted. Within seconds, Old Faithful was covered with an inch of pea sized hail. As visitors of the park headed for cover they heard a solitary lighting strike.

For one man however, that solitary lighting strike was almost a life changer. Fifty-seven year old Harlan C. Idell Jr., of Florida, had “holes in his shoes” and his hat was “fried” as he fell to the boardwalk. That’s when Siebert stepped in.

“I just heard people screaming, so I ran over, kind of cleared people out of the way and began compressions. It was kind of an aaaaahahha blur of a moment.” A police officer that was on vacation helped Maggie count compressions.

After a few minutes of CPR, Idell came too and was alert and talking when rangers arrived. He was then airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, where he was later released with a ruptured ear drum. Eight others within the vicinity of the strike went to the Old Faithful clinic with minor injuries.

MCC-Blue River instructor Wolfe commented, “Maggie is truly a hero! What more can I say? We are all safe and sound and lucky to have someone like Maggie on the trip.”

For more information about the field study contact Ben Wolfe at benjamin.wolfe@mcckc.edu.