COEUR d’ALENE — David Tysdal was given a sendoff fit for a hero as he was pushed through the halls of Kootenai Health on Tuesday morning.  

His fellow Coeur d’Alene firefighters, friends and family members, police officers, and hospital staff lined the hallways to cheer and applaud as he left the hospital to be transported to a specialty rehab facility out of state.  

Tysdal appeared to be in good spirits as he gave smiles, a thumbs up and thanked those who gathered to see him off.  

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department engineer was shot once in the back June 29 while responding to a fire on Canfield Mountain. He is credited with “helping save the lives of fellow first responders by warning them to stay out of the area after he was shot,” a statement from CDAFD read Tuesday. 

The gunshot resulted in “severe” injuries to the left side of Tysdal’s body, including spinal swelling, several shattered ribs and a collapsed lung. 

The “ambush-style” attack also resulted in the deaths of battalion chiefs John Morrison and Frank Harwood, whose lives were celebrated during private services last week.  

Though the spinal swelling has left him paralyzed from the chest down, Tysdal was able to voluntarily wiggle the toes of his left foot for the first time Sunday — a miracle and moment of hope for Tysdal’s friends and family.  

“It was incredible. It was the first bit of good news we’ve had,” said Coeur d’Alene firefighter Erik Loney. “I think all of us cried tears of joy for the first time.”  

Tysdal is also speaking and moving his arms, Loney added. Each of these milestones gives encouragement that he may regain full mobility. 

“He’s progressing, and we have so much hope that things will start to get better for him,” Loney said.  

Tysdal will remain at the specialty facility for the foreseeable future, depending on the trajectory of his recovery.  

Meanwhile, his absence will continue to be felt deeply by his brothers and sisters with CDAFD. 

“If you ask anyone in this department, they’ll tell you that (Tysdal) is the nicest guy in the world,” Loney said.