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Vol. 21, No. 10, Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Early Christmas miracle Man and daughter survive devastating OHV rollover BY JANA SEMENIUK Bruderheim resident Jesse Fifoot took his 13-year-old daughter, Peyton, out to look over a field on Nov. 30, planning for an upcoming hunting trip. Fifoot said they’ve made trips like this many times in his side-by-side, but on this night an unexpected mechanical failure sent the duo on a terrifying journey. Fifoot said they were travelling west on the shoulder of highway 45 going between 45 and 50 kmh at approximately 5:30 p.m. when tragedy struck. “We were about 120 yards from my property on 45 street and all of a sudden the side by side, just locked up, just completely locked up, and sent us sideways towards the ditch, and as soon the tires hit the edge of the pavement that’s when the side-by-side rolled,” said Fifoot. “Peyton ended up between my legs, and I tried to hold her there so I wouldn't crush her, but on the second roll, I went through the windshield.” Fifoot’s vehicle rolled twice, sending his torso smashing through the windshield and unable to protect his daughter as the roof was violently ripped away. When the sideby-side finally came to a stop, Fifoot said he was able to walk out of the wreckage but immediately knew something was wrong. “I couldn’t catch my breath, and I couldn’t see straight,” he said. “I didn't want (Peyton) to see. I couldn't let her know
the extent of my injuries, because she just would have panicked even more.” Fifoot instructed his daughter to call her mother and 911. As Peyton quickly made the phone calls, Fifoot said a man pulled up in a truck to help. “I still don’t know who it was, but
there was a gentleman that pulled up in a truck and was watching out for me and my daughter,” said Fifoot, adding the experience was like a “guardian angel” who arrived to help until emergency crews arrived. “He tried talking to me, but my
Bruderheim resident Jesse Fifoot gives a thumbs up from the ambulance to his wife Monique, signifying he would be okay after suffering a devastating OHV rollover on Nov. 30. Left: The side-by-side sits badly damaged after the accident.
head was just elsewhere. So, he continued to talk to my daughter. Then my wife pulled up behind him and from there he left,” said Fifoot who added at that point he began to weaken and fell to the ground. As emergency crews arrived, including firetrucks from Lamont and Bruderhiem, ambulances and RCMP, the first responders assessed Fifoot and Peyton before transporting them to the University Hospital in Edmonton. While Peyton suffered only a few cuts around her nose and soreness, Fifoot’s injuries were numerous. “I have two broken ribs, stitches and glue to the back of my head along with massive swelling, injury to my right shoulder, liver damage from the impact and a severe concussion,” he said. By the next day, the two were released from the hospital and recovering as best as they could at home. Although Fifoot said the side-by-side is a write off, he feels grateful the tragedy did not end worse. “The doctors said multiple times there should have been more injuries, especially with regards to my daughter. She checked out completely fine,” he said. Fifoot said he also wonders about the stranger who showed up at just the right moment to comfort him and his daughter before help arrived. “I definitely want to express gratitude and appreciation for him stopping,” he said. “(This is) God’s reminder (about) how quickly something can change. We’ve done this (trip) so many times. “An instant can change your life.”