Saving Harlan Brandt: A Survivor and His Good Samaritans

By Kevin Warneke and Kent Warneke

Harlan Brandt needed a Good Samaritan. Would anyone answer the call for help? Would you?

On any given day at any given time, we may be called to help someone in need. It could be someone close or someone unfamiliar. When Harlan Brandt, a cattleman living and working in northeast Nebraska, was critically injured in a horri

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Feb 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798890416605

Kevin Warneke

Kent Warneke and Kevin Warneke grew up in Plainview, Nebraska, where their father published the community's weekly newspaper. Both worked as reporters for the Omaha World-Herald for a time. Kent later served as newspaper editor in Norfolk, Nebraska, for three decades, and Kevin pursued a career in nonprofit administration and fundraising. The lifelong Nebraskans both are married with grown children.

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He could have died. He should have died.

Maybe he did die.

Saving

Harlan

Brandt

A survivor and his Good Samaritans

Kent Warneke and Kevin Warneke

Foreword by U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts

FOREWoRD

Once on a family trip, my daughters Eleanor and Margot, who were just 10 and 12 at the time, wandered off in a crowd. Every parent knows that feeling of dread and panic that hits when your kids aren’t where they were just seconds prior. Your stomach becomes a sinking pit as you immediately consider all the possible places they could have gone and how you are going to find them. My wife went with our son to cover the exit, and I went in search of our girls.

 I looked for them all over. Finally, relief set in when I spotted them. Two young college women who’d seen my lost daughters wandering agreed to stay with them, hoping their parents wouldn’t be far behind.

In an unfamiliar place full of unfamiliar people, a small act of kindness from a couple of Good Samaritans prevented what could have easily become a parent’s worst nightmare. I don’t remember their names or much about them, but these two young women saw my girls alone and took it upon themselves to ensure their safety. I am still grateful they were there that day.

Good Samaritans are all around us if we have the grace to look. The Good Samaritans in each of our lives also serve as a reminder to do our part to be that Good Samaritan for others in need. When I was governor, I was always overwhelmed by the stories of Nebraskans at their best. During the floods of 2019, our Nebraska National Guard members left their loved ones to drive nearly 45,000 miles and put in over 335 hours of flight to rescue Nebraskans in need. Because of their service, 112 Nebraskans – and 13 pets – were saved from drowning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our health care workers labored tirelessly to care for our communities in unprecedented circumstances. Our Nebraska farmers and ranchers worked around the clock to continue feeding our state and our nation. Neighbors came together to support one another. Nebraska was ranked the No. 1 state for COVID-19 response, largely because we each did our part when it mattered most.

Day in and day out, we are inundated with all the bad in our world. But Good Samaritans remind us that God made good in the world. We should always remember that the Good Life we celebrate in Nebraska is because our people are inherently good, and we all have a responsibility to contribute to that each and every day.

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts

Omaha, Nebraska

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Hours Before

Chapter 2: The Story to be Told

A Sidelight: Scene

Chapter 3: What Happened

A Sidelight: Tractor Safety is an Ongoing Concern

Chapter 4: Accidentally Involved

Chapter 5: First on the Scene

A Sidelight: About Good Samaritans

Chapter 6: Another Helpful Motorist

Modern-Day Good Samaritans: Part 1

Chapter 7: A Nurse Pitches In

A Sidelight: One Good Deed

Chapter 8: The 911 Call Comes In

Chapter 9: A Wife Who Doesn’t Know

Chapter 10: First Responder on the Scene

A Sidelight: Worn Out of Loyalty

Chapter 11: Always Ready

A Sidelight: The Cost of Volunteering

Chapter 12: Serving Double Duty

Modern-Day Good Samaritans: Part 2

Chapter 13: ER Physician Had a Job to Do

Chapter 14: An ER Nurse’s Work

A Sidelight: Air Ambulances Play Vital Role

Chapter 15: His Pastor and Friend

A Sidelight: Tracking Near-Death Experiences

Chapter 16: A Daughter-in-Law’s Tense Journey

Chapter 17: A Day Like No Other

Chapter 18: A Call No One Wants to Receive

Chapter 19: Pitching In

Modern-Day Good Samaritans: Part 3

Chapter 20: Sending Harlan Home

Chapter 21: Key Role for Critical Access Hospitals

Chapter 22: The Tractor Lives On

A Sidelight: Off-the-Chart Customer Service

Chapter 23: A Changed Man

A Sidelight: ‘Stuff It and Numb It’

Epilogue: At Peace

Acknowledgements

About The Authors

PREFACE

When Harlan Brandt first approached the authors of this book, he had a story he wanted to share. He had been involved in a horrific tractor accident in the fall of 2013. He believes that he died that day…but that God brought him back to life.

We knew his story was worth sharing. The question became how best to do so. We decided to tell the story from the viewpoints of those who offered aid – at the accident scene, on the way to the hospital and beyond. We interviewed more than 20 people to hear their portions of Harlan’s story. The resulting chapters make up the primary focus of the book, but they don’t tell the whole story.

Our many conversations with those involved spurred the realization that this story has a unique look and feel because it took place in rural America. As a result, companion chapters – called sidelights – are included to highlight what makes the rural parts of this nation special. It’s about lending a hand. It’s about the cost volunteers have to shoulder in order to help others. It’s about brand loyalty among farmers and rural residents. It’s about the critical role air ambulances play in providing healthcare in rural areas. It’s about county attorneys doubling as county coroners.

A third part of this book reflects the fact that while Harlan benefited from numerous Good Samaritans on the day of his accident, countless others have been on the receiving end of assistance from strangers at some point in their lives. As a result, we collected Good Samaritan stories from numerous Nebraskans, including elected officials, so we could share those as well.

The overriding message is that modern-day Good Samaritans are alive, well and plentiful throughout Nebraska and throughout rural America.

INTRODUCTION

The tractor driven by Harlan Brandt of Oakdale, Nebraska, was significantly damaged in the October 2013 accident along U.S. Highway 275 in northeast Nebraska. Brandt was also critically injured.

When Harlan Brandt was injured on Oct. 7, 2013, in a traffic accident, it didn’t generate much media coverage. The Antelope County News – the weekly newspaper serving the northeast Nebraska county – published a modest story that began this way:

"Antelope County Supervisor Harlan Brandt of Oakdale was critically injured in a three-vehicle accident Monday afternoon. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, the accident occurred two miles west of Tilden on Highway 275 at 4:40 p.m.

"The State Patrol reports Brandt, 62, was driving an International tractor eastbound on Highway 275. LeRoy Kibby, 68, of Omaha, driving a red, 2008 GMC Yukon, attempted to pass the Brandt tractor. While passing, the Yukon struck the left rear tire of the tractor causing Brandt to be ejected.

Helen Stutzman, 63, O’Neill, driving a 2002 Trailblazer, was traveling westbound as the impact occurred. As Stutzman tried to avoid the collision, her vehicle entered the north ditch. She overcorrected and the vehicle entered the eastbound lane, coming into contact with the Yukon as it was still in motion. After impacting the Yukon, Stutzman’s vehicle grazed Brandt as he remained on the roadway.

This account of the story might leave the impression there isn’t a whole lot more to share about Harlan and the accident. That would be incorrect.

He could have died. He should have died. Maybe he did die.

But thanks to helpful strangers, well-trained volunteers, medical professionals, caring family and friends and, perhaps, divine intervention, Harlan is alive and well 10 years later. What happened to him from the moment of impact through his life today serves as a tale of encouragement and faith. It’s also a real-life example of the abundant sense of helpfulness that exists in rural areas.

Yes, there’s so much more of Harlan’s story to share.

Chapter 1:

The Hours Before

Harlan Brandt, a longtime livestock producer near Oakdale, Nebraska, continues to work with cattle 10 years after nearly dying in a tractor accident along a highway in northeast Nebraska.

Harlan Brandt had a