Sometimes, it’s not about the what, it’s about the who.

The who being two off-duty EMTs who were boating in the Columbia River, near Crescent Bar, when they witnessed a man’s worst day.

On May 1, Brooks Abel, 27, dove off the front of a boat into shallow water. He suffered injuries to his spine in cervical vertebra one, five and six, as well as spinal hematoma. That’s the what.

He was pulled from the river and resuscitated by the pair of EMTs, who likely saved his life. He was then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

“That was just amazing to me that they just happened to be there,” said Matt Christiansen, a close friend and former teammate of Abel’s. “If they weren’t there, odds are he probably wouldn’t be here.”

And more about the who: The community of friends and friends of friends who almost immediately sprung into action to help. Friends who knew him as the manager and bartender of Blue Rock Saloon, or former classmates from Central Washington University. And even a few ex-teammates from his time playing football.

“He just has a way of touching everyone’s lives in a way that they’ll always remember,” said senior Wes King, a close friend of Abel’s.

According to Abel’s family, his health insurance expired on April 30, just a day before the accident, leaving Abel with piles of medical bills.

Word spread fast through the Ellensburg and CWU community. Facebook and Twitter posts filled timelines showing support for Abel and his family.

This led to the creation of the “Prayers for Brooksie” GoFundMe page, which was started the day after the accident by his sister Emily Alvey. As of Tuesday night, the page has raised $17,225 in just 15 days with 272 donations ranging from $5 to $500.

Just days after the creation of the GoFundMe page, Blue Rock Saloon held a special taco Tuesday event, in which all the proceeds raised that evening would go to help him and his family.

“The first thing we wanted to do was make sure he was okay and [figure out] how could we help,” said Blue Rock Saloon owner Jim Rowe. “He didn’t feel like an employee…He felt like the bar’s big brother.”

That night, hundreds of people came through the bar, helping to raise $20,650.

“It was incredible,” King said. “The place was packed from four o’clock when they opened until close, and it was just nothing and love in support for Brooks.”

The event touched those closest to Abel.

“You’re talking about one of your best friends being in this situation, and going out and seeing hundreds of people that are there … it’s absolutely incredible,” Christiansen said. “You wanna think that would happen for you, but in token, I don’t necessarily think that’s the case.”

The taco night featured a special menu, which included $25 street tacos, $50 margaritas and $100 burritos. Shirtworks also donated T-shirts for the event, which generated $2,500.

The money raised is not just going to hospital bills, but also to help pay for his existing bills, future rehabilitation and renovations around his mother’s house that will be needed to help him get around.

“There’s so many different aspects that this money can be applied to,” Christiansen said. “It’s not just like, ‘Hey, this going to hospital bills.’ This is going to providing a foundation for his life moving forward.”

The show of support wasn’t a surprise to those that knew Abel best, because he was always the first person to be there in support of them.

“You talk to people about Brooks and it’s always the same story,” King said. “They needed help with something and he was the guy. … He would always pile up other people’s problems before his own. He’s just that selfless of a person. That’s why people speak so highly of him.”

King has known Abel since high school. The two met through Abel’s sister and have been friends ever since. King spent eight years in the military before coming to CWU. He would visit Abel on some of his weekends off-base, but their friendship became stronger once he started going to CWU.

In his eight years in the Army, King developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has dealt with it ever since.

“I’ve had some outbursts and outbreaks where he’s been there for me and help me come back down to earth a little bit,” King said.

King said there was even a suicidal instance, where Abel was one of two people that were really there for him.

“One of the biggest things I can say about Brooks is he’s always put others in front of himself,” King said. “Especially in serious situations such as that.”

Christiansen echos the sentiment of Abel being a person that is always selfless and there to help his friends.

When the two played football at CWU, Christiansen tore his meniscus one night in an off-the-field situation. Abel drove him to the hospital the next morning, and then to Yakima for surgery the next week, staying with Christiansen through the entire thing.

Abel would go on to be his transportation for the next six months while he recovered.

“He was there for me when I had hard times,” Christiansen said. “People don’t forget about things like that.”

As of now, Abel is still in Harborview recovering from injuries and multiple surgeries. The most recent of which was on Monday to pin his cracked C1 back together.

Contrary to many rumors, Abel is not in incubation, he hasn’t been diagnosed with paralysis from neck down for the rest of his life and he is not on assisted breathing at this point, according to Christiansen.

Despite the injuries, Abel has kept his spirits up.

“His sense of humor is still here, and his attitude is amazing to me,” Christiansen said. “He’s so excited to see what he’s made of, and take this head on.”

Christiansen said that Abel has asked visitors to give at least 24-hour notice before coming to see him.

The road to recovery will be long for Abel, but those around him believe that if anyone can do it, he can.

“One thing we’ve kind of been preaching is you can’t quantify will power or divine intervention, because crazier things have happened,” Christiansen said. “Yes he’s probably gonna be in a wheelchair, but he has the willpower to get out of it.”