Ambulance donation helps Radisson family heal after tragic loss

A small-town fire department is getting a big upgrade in memory of a little boy who died in a tragic accident.
 
Ten-year-old Ethan Manson was killed in a snowmobile accident in 2015 near his hometown of Radisson, Sask.
 
His father Bryan works for ambulance-maker Crestline Coach Ltd. in Saskatoon. He also serves as a first responder with the Radisson volunteer fire department.
 
“Ethan was a free spirit. He lived the life to the fullest. He was just a little boy who liked to have fun, enjoyed time with his friends,”  he said during a news conference at Crestline’s Saskatoon facility on Tuesday. 
 
Bryan said his fellow fire department members have been a constant source of support after losing his son. He also praised Crestline for how they treated him in the wake of Ethan’s death, giving him the time off he needed and allowing him to ease back into work when he was ready.
 
But he said he was blown away by the company’s next move — teaming up with M.D. Ambulance to refurbish a former city ambulance and donate it to Radisson Fire and Rescue in Ethan’s name. They handed over the keys Tuesday.
 
“Right now we drive a ’78 Ford. It doesn’t run very well. It doesn’t function very well. There’s not much room for patients. It was after Ethan’s accident we actually realized how bad the unit was,” Manson said.
 
Radisson fire Chief Jack Werzak said they’ve lost a lot of friends in the last few years, and that little Ethan’s death rocked the whole department. He said the new ambulance will not only make them a faster, better, more efficient service, but was also a welcome bit of light in what’s been a very difficult time.
 
“It lifts the weight off our shoulders. It brings us back to reality, reminding us there is a lot of good people out there,” he said.