Two UW students became best friends after meeting in an ambulance en route to Meriter hospital for detox Saturday night.
Brandi Bunbar and Nikki Soarensen were at the same house party but had not met before their unforgettable and transformative ambulance ride.
“I’d say we connected when we found out we both blew the same BAC,” said Bunbar. “.29. What are the chances? It had to be fate.”
Madison Police officer Becky Teetcowzkey said normally multiple people do not ride in the same ambulance.
“We had too many people going to the hospital that night,” Teetcowzkey said. “We did what we had to.”
Bunbar says this was another event that can only be explained by kismet.
During the 15-minute ride, Bunbar said she and Soarensen discussed their respective turbulent childhoods, their darkest fears and their career and life aspirations. Paramedic Dean Yung insists he was not eavesdropping but that he could not help but overhear the conversation nonetheless.
“The two of them would not shut the fuck up,” Yung said. “I’m surprised they could even understand each other at all, given all the slurring that was going on. It was also kind of rude that I was sitting right there with them, and they didn’t think to include me at all.”
The meaningful conversation had such an impact on Soarensen that she did not want to leave Bunbar’s side for the rest of the night.
“We became so close on a deep level in the ambulance,” said Soarensen. “We wanted to be close on a geographic level too, so we requested adjacent beds when we finally got to the hospital.”
Although they did not receive adjacent beds, Bunbar and Soarensen said they are confident they will stay lifelong best friends.
“I love [Brandi] like a sister,” said Soarensen, as Bunbar smiled and nodded in agreement.
Another student, who would only identify himself as ‘Party Andy,’ said he saw Soarensen and Bunbar at the party.
“I don’t know for sure if it was them,” said ‘Party Andy.’ “But it probably was them because both the girls I’m referring to were drunk.”
