July 31, 2023 |
Photo – Bench dedicated to Tyeler Harris, fallen EMT – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
Tiffany Gruetzmacher is honored at the Cheyenne Frontier Days.
During the Cheyenne Frontier Days last Thursday, Stag Arms presented the Cowboy Way Hero of the Day to Rawlins EMT Tiffany Gruetzmacher.
Speaking at Cheyenne Frontier Days, Rodeo Announcer Garrett Yerigan said, “Last December, Gruetzmacher and Tyeler Harris were treating accident victims on Interstate 80 when a semi-truck crashed into their ambulance.”
Harris was tragically killed in collision. Yerigan said being an emergency medical technician was Harris’s calling in life.
Two weeks ago, the volunteers at Bridge Street Bargains, in Saratoga, purchased a bench in the name of the fallen EMT. Harris’s bench was dedicated on July 15th and sits outside of the North Platte Valley Medical Center in Saratoga.
Gruetzmacher was critically injured in the crash. Yerigan described the injuries Grutzmacher suffered. The rodeo announcer said both Harris and Gruetzmacher dedicated their lives to caring for people.
Following the crash, Gruetzmacher spent five days at the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. When she was released, emergency responders from across the area welcomed Gruetzmacher home to Rawlins with a parade.
Thursday, Yerigan said the Cheyenne Frontier Days was dedicated to Harris and Gruetzmacher. The rodeo announcer said the two EMTs were examples of bravery and the American spirit.
The effects of the horrific day are still being felt across the county. During the July 5th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, County Clerk Gwen Bartlett said they received an ARPA grant to pay for an ambulance to replace the one lost in the December 21st accident. Bartlett said the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County hasn’t started the bidding process. The county clerk said the hospital wasn’t likely to receive the new ambulance until 2024 at the earliest.
Speaking to the Cowboy State Daily, Gruetzmacher said she will continue to work as an EMT for as long as she can. She said it is her passion and her calling.
