Off-duty Vancouver firefighter saves drowning man in Mexico

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

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

The twoglanced at each other and began running towards theocean, where the screams originated. They soon discovered that someone had gone under the waterand could not befound.

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 incidentthat occurredin February.

"I was calling people to assist and to do things. Igot the lifeguard to get someSea-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.

Christiehad given up hope because it had been at least10 minutes since he was told thatHeimhad gone underwater.

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

"I gave him a couple of quick breathsand 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 nearbyhospital thenflownto the U.S. for treatment.

Heim'sfriend, BarryPayewas the one who yelledwhen he noticedHeimhad gone under. Christie said if it wasn't forPaye, the outcome might have been worse.

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

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

I would describe it almost as amiraculousturnaround .- Barry Paye

"For the first fourdays there, he was ona ventilator, basicallyonlife support to get his lungs working," said Paye in a phone interview from Wisconsin.

But just dayslater, Heimwas released from the hospital and was able to fly back hometo Wisconsin.

"I would describe it almost as a miraculousturnaround 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.

Butafter about a month Heimwas 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 theycredit Christie withhelping to savehis life.

"That day, God was from Vancouver, Canada and thatGod 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'tknow what to say to Christie and others except'Thank you.' "

He saidthe experience gave him a different perspective on life.

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

The friends who werevacationing together and have known each other since highschool, said they're planning another trip in February to Mexico.

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