POCATELLO Craig Heape, a well-known citizen of Pocatello and Island Park, has a long road to recuperate after suffering life-altering injuries in a bizarre dock accident at Redfish Lake in Stanley on Sunday.
Heape, a surgical technician in Pocatello, was sitting on a bench on the wharf when the day with friends suddenly took a different turn. He went headfirst into less than two feet of water when the bench tipped over.
As soon as he saw the disaster, his friend Carl Williams rushed to his aid.
According to Williams, it was evident that he was paralyzed from the neck down right away.
Heape was taken to the trauma center at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise after paramedics were dispatched to the scene.
In addition to other serious injuries, doctors found that he had three cracked vertebrae in his neck and a damaged spinal cord.
Heape will be in the hospital for almost a week in order to receive rigorous care and assessment. He will then be moved to an inpatient rehabilitation center, where, according on his progress, he may stay for two to six months.
Even though Heape’s injuries are severe, he is already recovering well. According to Williams, Heape’s hands and feet are feeling normal again, and medical professionals don’t think any long-term nerve damage will occur.
According to Williams, the doctors anticipate that he will fully recover, but it will take a while.
Heape is described by friends as a someone who brightens any space he walks into, is quick to laugh, kind, and always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. Heape was a well-liked bartender at Island Park’s Shotgun Bar, where he assisted with numerous neighborhood fundraisers and activities. He split his time between Pocatello and Island Park.
His neighborhood and friends are now banding together to repay him for the help he has frequently provided to others.
To help pay for uninsured medical bills, such as ongoing treatment and rehabilitation, possible house renovations, and daily living expenses while he is unable to work, a GoFundMe page has been established.
Heape is reportedly approaching every day with the same sense of humor, fortitude, and resolve that characterize him, despite the uncertainties.
On the donation page, organizers stated that Craig’s journey is just getting started and that he is more in need of his community than ever. Any amount you donate helps lessen his burden as he strives for recovery, regardless of whether you know him personally or are moved by his tale.
Visit this GoFundMe site to learn more or to make a donation to support Heape.
