SANDPOINT, Idaho — The girlfriend of the teen killed in last Wednesday’s severe storm in Sandpoint shared her experience of his final moments.
17-year-old Charlie Miller was killed by a falling tree during a windstorm on September 25.
His girlfriend, Syringa Bell, was with him during the incident.
“We were just trying to cook dinner on the grill outside, and he ran outside when that first big gust of wind happened to make sure the grill wasn’t tipping over,” said Bell.
After Miller went outside, Bell heard a tree crack.
“I just saw the tree fall, and I didn’t see him anywhere,” she said.
Miller was pinned under the downed tree and suffered broken bones, internal bleeding, brain trauma and a punctured lung.
Bell called 9-1-1 and kept a confused Miller awake.
“I just didn’t want to let him lay down and fall asleep and then him just not wake up,” she said.
An ambulance took Miller to the local hospital, but he was soon transported to Spokane for more critical care.
He underwent a 24-hour emergency surgery, but ultimately, died of his injuries.
“His body and his brain weren’t getting enough oxygen from his punctured lung and he wasn’t going to make it,” said Bell.
Miller was placed in a medically induced coma. Bell and his family took their time to say goodbye.
“I just tried to comfort him, just because he couldn’t comfort me,” said Bell.
She held his hand and was there when his heart stopped beating.
“I was watching the heart rate go down for a couple minutes, and I looked away for a second, just to kiss his face and touch his hair, and then I looked back and it was zero,” said Bell.
Miller was a senior at Lake Pend Orielle High School, alongside Bell.
Anyone who wishes to support the Miller family can reach out to the Lake Pend Orielle School District for information on how to donate.
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