Off-duty Vancouver firefighter saves drowning man in Mexico

Vancouver Fire Battalion Chief Dan Christie and his wife were relaxing on the beach, playing backgammon during a vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico when the yelling started. 

"It was a strange yell," said Christie, "It was like there was distress."

The two glanced at each other and began running towards the ocean, where the screams originated. They soon discovered that someone had gone under the water and could not be found.

I was thinking, 'no, it's been too long, we are going to lose this guy.'- Dan Christie

Christie would later learn that a group of friends from Wisconsin were boogie-boarding that morning when one of them, Steve Heim, 39, somehow wiped out and never came back up.

"He was probably being towed along the bottom," said Christie, recalling the incident that occurred in February.

"I was calling people to assist and to do things. I got the lifeguard to get some Sea-Doos so we could see things better ...

"By the time we got him out of the water I was thinking, 'No, it's been too long, we are going to lose this guy,' " he said. 

Christie had given up hope because it had been at least 10 minutes since he was told that Heim had gone underwater.

"But that doesn't mean we are going to stop trying," said Christie, who with the help of a stranger gave Heim CPR. 

"I gave him a couple of quick breaths and this guy just jumped on the chest to give CPR," said Christie, "I didn't know who he was but it didn't matter cause he was doing a good job."

Heim was quickly taken to a nearby hospital then flown to the U.S. for treatment.

Heim's friend, Barry Paye was the one who yelled when he noticed Heim had gone under. Christie said if it wasn't for Paye, the outcome might have been worse.

"All the things that started happening that saved this guy's life would not have happened without (Paye) yelling," said Christie. 

In hospital, doctors said Heim's lungs were damaged from all the sea water. 

I would describe it almost as a miraculous turnaround .- Barry Paye

"For the first four days there, he was on a ventilator, basically on life support to get his lungs working," said Paye in a phone interview from Wisconsin.

But just days later, Heim was released from the hospital and was able to fly back home to Wisconsin.

"I would describe it almost as a miraculous turnaround at the end of those last few days at the hospital," said Paye, adding that they were all worried he would suffer major brain damage. 

But after about a month Heim was able to go back to work. 

That day God was from Vancouver, Canada.- Barry Paye

No one knows how Heim went under water that morning in Mexico. but they credit Christie with helping to save his life.

"That day, God was from Vancouver, Canada and that God put Dan [Christie] on that beach for some reason to take control of that situation to give us the miracle that we all wanted," said Paye.

Heim, who doesn't remember the accident, said he doesn't know what to say to Christie and others except 'Thank you.' "

He said the experience gave him a different perspective on life. 

"Just a lot more thankful for .... just everything," Heim said.

The friends who were vacationing together and have known each other since high school, said they're planning another trip in February to Mexico.

But Heim said, "you won't find me in the ocean."

​