Urbandale Officer, ISU Student Honored For Heroic Acts

Ian Waseskuk watched as two men, credited for saving his life, received honors from the Urbandale City Council on Tuesday night.

Waseskuk, 18, told the Des Moines Register he had been hanging out with friends on Sunday, March 10 before he decided to drive across the street to do 'doughnuts' in a church parking lot.

Not long after, Urbandale police officer Zac McDowell and ISU student Nick Schroeder, pulled an unconscious Waseskuk from burring car.

A dashboard camera captured the harrowing scene and McDowell yanking Waseskuk to safety.

“I must have hit my head on something or it was the smoke,” Waseskuk told the Des Moines Register. “I woke up a couple days later. My mom told me I was on life support.”

Waseskuk told the newspaper the two men were heroes before meeting them at the meeting.

McDowell told the paper he asked Waseskuk to come to the meeting.

“I wanted him to see how much attention this has got,” McDowell told the Register. “I’m glad he’s OK and was able to go home to his family.”

The video, along McDowll and Schroeders' heroic acts, have been the talk of the town.

The two men received life-saving commendations and awards from the Urbandale City Council and Iowa House of Representatives at Tuesday's meeting.

The Urbandale Police Department will honor the men, as well.