LARAMIE — Prayers and support are pouring in from all over the state for a local firefighter who was left at least temporarily paralyzed when a massive stone fireplace chase collapsed on him and a colleague responding to a house fire late Friday.
Dylan Schilt was continuing to recover Monday at the UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado, his father, Mike Schilt, told Cowboy State Daily.
“As near as they (doctors) can tell, the spinal cord is still intact,” Mike said, adding that Dylan remained essentially paralyzed from his belly button down.
Dylan grew up in Laramie with four brothers and a sister, and is an active outdoorsman, his father said.
“If it involves the outdoors, it’s his thing. We really want him to walk again,” Mike said.
He added the family has received calls and messages of concern from Gov. Mark Gordon, the mayor of Laramie and countless other officials and Wyoming residents.
“For parents, anything that happens with your kids is a big deal,” he said. “But this really is a big deal. The outpouring of support from the community and across the state has been amazing.”
Laramie Fire Department shift commander Gus Stonum said that the other firefighter caught in the collapse suffered a severe knee injury and continues to recover. The department declined to release that firefighter’s name.
A Fitting Career Path
Dylan is the second-oldest of the six children that Mike and his wife, Jenny, raised in Laramie.
The oldest, Carson, is a detective with the Laramie Police Department and previously worked as a paramedic for 12 years.
Carson inspired Dylan to go into emergency services, and as soon as Dylan was old enough, Carson encouraged him to apply with the fire department, his father said.
Being a firefighter suits Dylan well, because he has a natural inclination to help people, Mike said.
Stonum said that Dylan is hard-working and well-respected among his colleagues. In addition to his duties as a firefighter, he also serves as an EMT with the police department’s Special Response Team (commonly called the SWAT team).
: Dylan Schilt is one of six siblings from Laramie. A Laramie Firefighter, he was severely injured when a massive stone fireplace chase collapsed on him and another firefighter responding to a call late Friday. (Courtesy Mike Schilt) 
Dylan Schilt is a Laramie firefighter and an avid outdoorsman. He was severely injured late Friday when a massive stone fireplace chase inside a burning house collapsed on him and another firefighter. (Courtesy Mike Schilt) 
: Dylan Schilt is one of six siblings from Laramie. A Laramie Firefighter, he was severely injured when a massive stone fireplace chase collapsed on him and another firefighter responding to a call late Friday. (Courtesy Mike Schilt)
‘That Phone Call That No Parent Wants To Get’
At about 8:30 p.m. Friday, the Vedauwoo Volunteer Fire Department responded to reports of heavy smoke at a rural Albany County home.
The Laramie Fire Department sent an engine to help, and Dylan was part of that crew.
He and the other firefighter were inside the house when part of the internal structure collapsed on them, according to reports.
Mike said that he and Jenny had just returned home from playing cards with friends when they got a phone call from Carson.
“It’s that phone call that no parent wants to get when you have first responder children,” Mike said. “I could tell something was wrong, and he (Carson) could hardly get the words out. So I said, ‘We’ll just meet you at the hospital.’”
Dylan’s Account Of Events
The collapse inside the house was sudden and terrifying, Mike said, recounting what his son had told him about it.
The house was pouring smoke, but firefighters were uncertain where it was coming from. The incident commander on scene sent Dylan and the other firefighter inside to investigate further.
The main room had high, vaulted ceilings and a huge, ornate stone chase around the fireplace.
Dylan and the other firefighter thought the fire might have started inside the chimney and was burning inside the chase. So they cut a hole in the chase to get a look inside.
As Dylan recalls, the section above the other firefighter collapsed first, and he was knocked out cold by falling stones. Then Dylan looked up, just in time to see the section above him come tumbling down.
“Dylan was turning to run when that section above him went, and it hit him in the back,” Mike said. “It bent him over double, and he felt his spine snap.
“And he knew his legs were gone at that point.”
With the other firefighter still unconscious, Dylan reached for his radio and called for help.
The incident commander came in and found Dylan trapped underneath the rubble, so he started digging him out.
The other firefighter came to, and the incident commander told him, “You’ve got to get yourself out, I’ve got to get Dylan out,” Mike said.
At some point, there was a secondary collapse, and at least one other firefighter suffered minor injuries, according to reports.
‘Months To Years Of Rehab’
After Dylan was stabilized at Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie, he was taken by air ambulance to the trauma unit at the Medical Center of the Rockies.
In addition to his broken back, he suffered a collapsed lung and broken ankle.
Dylan underwent surgery Sunday to stabilize the damaged section of his spine. A blood clot that was pressing against his spinal cord and bone fragments were also removed, his father said.
Dylan’s expected to spend at least two more weeks in the hospital before going to a rehabilitation center in Denver.
“My wife and I will get an apartment down there for as long as it takes,” Mike said.
A photo taken about 17 hours after the accident shows Dylan in a hospital bed, with his four brothers at his side.
“We call that our miracle photo,” Mike said. “Twelve hours before that was taken, we didn’t know if we would still have five sons.”
The family remains hopeful, but Dylan has a tough road head, he added.
“We’re looking at months to years of rehab, but at least he’s alive,” Mike said, adding that the family appreciates all the prayers coming their way.
“My goodness, yes, keep them coming,” he said.
Collapse A Risk For Firefighters
Stonum said Dylan is sorely missed at the fire department, where firefighters from family-like bonds.
“He’s a super-cool dude,” Stonum said.
The collapse that injured Dylan and the other firefighter serves as a stark reminder of how dangerous their profession is, he said.
The possibility of a collapse is on firefighters’ minds whenever they enter a burning structure, he said.
Many firefighters have at least some knowledge of building design and structure, and that helps mitigate the risk.
But in an emergency, there isn’t much time to analyze a building’s possible weak points, Stonum said. Firefighters just go in and do what needs to be done.
“You can never fully anticipate when something is going to occur, especially when you don’t know exactly how that structure was built,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
