HES
10-05-09, 21:09
Last night (Saturday the 3rd of October) as my son and I were returning from a cub scout camping event he and I came upon the scene of a horrific traffic accident (LINK (http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/04/pair-crashes-pasco-leaves-1-dead-9-injured/news-pasco/)) on state road 52. When I got out to render assistance and 1st aid my son had, unknowingly to me, followed me to the scene of the accident to assist as well. When I finally realized he was following me I stopped him and had another adult on the scene keep him at a safe distance while I rendered aid to one of the victims. He was kept far enough away to see much of anything other than the one burning vehicle and the other crumpled one and the cries of the trapped children. At one point I realized that I needed to wash off the victim I was working on to see where he was bleeding from. Since I had plenty of water in my truck from camping I told another adult to go to my son, have him guide her to my truck, and to get some canteens. Once my instructions were relayed to him, he took off at a sprint for my truck with the adult in tow. When they got to my truck they could not find the canteens. But he did remember that I had a 5 gallon water can in the bed. He told the adult to grab it while he went into the cab and grabbed some towels. He even remembered to lock my truck and keep the keys (this sequence of events were relayed to me by the adult, not him). They then ran back to me and he stopped where I had told him to earlier while the adult ran the water and towels the rest of the way to me. He kept his cool and used his initiative while so many other adults were acting in a hysterical manner. Were it not for his calmness, judgment, decision making and leadership abilities in a very stressful and traumatic environment I would have had a much harder time rendering aid to and keeping the victim alive. And they say that you dont learn anything in Scouts. Though he kept his cool at the time, the incident has affected him. He has had several nightmares within the past 24 hours and my wife and I are working with him to help him deal with the situation. I just thought you should know what an outstanding kid he is. I am proud of him right now!!
As for the victim I was working on, 21 year old male, both feet were about sheared off at the ankles, kept only in place by the barest threads of skin and muscle. Fractured hip, smashed face. Wasn't wearing his seat belt and was thrown clear. We had to move him because that burning truck was about to, and did, explode (though not like what happens in the movies). He picked that time to come out of shock. It was hell moving him and then trying to keep him immobilized while trying to keep him from choking on his own blood. He lived. His passenger, an 18yo girl lost her baby (8 months pregnant). She was wearing her seat belt and her injures were a lot less and she got out before the fire got too bad. In the other car a mother is dead, the father I don't know anything more about other than he lived. Their two little girls (about 9 or so) were pinned in place. The Town Car was crumpled so badly that the seats broke and pinned their legs. Thank God we were in a very rural area and one of the pickup trucks had a tow strap. They hooked the strap to the Town Car and dragged it away from the flaming truck. It took 5 life flights to evac the injured. Other than that I'm pissed off.
I'm pissed off that due to someones stupidity that my son is traumatized. I'm that it took fire / rescue who took 10 minutes to arrive on scene. I'm pissed off that there were only two EMTs on the truck, one of whom basically directed me in giving care, after they showed up. I had to move the guy on to a back board, immobilize his head, strap him in, lift him on to the road. I needed to be with my son once they arrived. Where is my EMT certification because goddammit I just earned it. I'm pissed off at the response time of the paramedics who took another 5 minutes to arrive. I'm pissed off at the people who just stood around before any help arrived. What the hell people, you see a horrific accident involving trapped kids and a burning vehicle that late at night on a deserted road, don't just call 911 and sit around with your thumb up your ass like some useless, gawking, sheepel. I'm pissed off at the mealy mouthed ****er who tried to argue with me that we shouldn't move the victim. I could tell by his tone that we was more concerned about getting sued than the guys health. At least he understood my command to move the guy after I explained that if we didn't move the victim, when the truck blew, we would all be in a world of shit. Finally, I'm pissed off at the ****er who I saved. It looks like he caused the whole damned thing and is a dirt bag with a rap sheet a mile long.
I'm very thankful to the lady who helped me so much and also told the mealy mouthed **** to get his ass in gear. She stayed with me almost the entire time. She helped me to keep talking to the victim, she helped me to keep him immobile as he was writhing and screaming in agony. She helped me wash the blood so we could assess his condition better. That lady was amazing and I never got her name. Then when she couldn't take any more she took my son to see the horses in the trailer that she was returning from a show with. I'm thankful to the 1st hysterical girl. At least she got out of her car and tried to help. She took care of my son. I'm thankful to the girl that helped get the water. Earlier when we moved the guy she had the job of supporting his legs. She discovered the nearly severed feet. She started to lose it, but I got her to hang in there long enough to move him to safety. I'm thankful to her for giving me the idea to check his pocket so I had some ID I could give the Sheriffs deputies and for giving me a name to call the victim by. I'm thankful to the Sheriffs deputies and highway patrol for taking control of a chaotic situation once they arrived and for not keeping me for so long. I'm thankful to the guys working on the Town Car who had the idea and the tools to drag it to safety. I'm thankful to the life flight crews from the area's multiple hospitals. They put those birds down on the two lane road in some damned tight quarters with power lines all around them and they did it with style and panache. I'm thankful to the ER and ICU staffs at the area hospitals. Everyone who was alive at the scene WILL live because of their efforts. Though I'm pissed at em, I do want to thank the EMT working with me for having faith in my abilities and for being a quick judge of character and I want to thank the paramedics for jumping on the scene like gang busters once they got there. Their professionalism saved EVERYONE who was alive once they arrived.
Most importantly I want to thank my son for being who he is and for making his dad feel 10 feet tall. He is my hero.
As for the victim I was working on, 21 year old male, both feet were about sheared off at the ankles, kept only in place by the barest threads of skin and muscle. Fractured hip, smashed face. Wasn't wearing his seat belt and was thrown clear. We had to move him because that burning truck was about to, and did, explode (though not like what happens in the movies). He picked that time to come out of shock. It was hell moving him and then trying to keep him immobilized while trying to keep him from choking on his own blood. He lived. His passenger, an 18yo girl lost her baby (8 months pregnant). She was wearing her seat belt and her injures were a lot less and she got out before the fire got too bad. In the other car a mother is dead, the father I don't know anything more about other than he lived. Their two little girls (about 9 or so) were pinned in place. The Town Car was crumpled so badly that the seats broke and pinned their legs. Thank God we were in a very rural area and one of the pickup trucks had a tow strap. They hooked the strap to the Town Car and dragged it away from the flaming truck. It took 5 life flights to evac the injured. Other than that I'm pissed off.
I'm pissed off that due to someones stupidity that my son is traumatized. I'm that it took fire / rescue who took 10 minutes to arrive on scene. I'm pissed off that there were only two EMTs on the truck, one of whom basically directed me in giving care, after they showed up. I had to move the guy on to a back board, immobilize his head, strap him in, lift him on to the road. I needed to be with my son once they arrived. Where is my EMT certification because goddammit I just earned it. I'm pissed off at the response time of the paramedics who took another 5 minutes to arrive. I'm pissed off at the people who just stood around before any help arrived. What the hell people, you see a horrific accident involving trapped kids and a burning vehicle that late at night on a deserted road, don't just call 911 and sit around with your thumb up your ass like some useless, gawking, sheepel. I'm pissed off at the mealy mouthed ****er who tried to argue with me that we shouldn't move the victim. I could tell by his tone that we was more concerned about getting sued than the guys health. At least he understood my command to move the guy after I explained that if we didn't move the victim, when the truck blew, we would all be in a world of shit. Finally, I'm pissed off at the ****er who I saved. It looks like he caused the whole damned thing and is a dirt bag with a rap sheet a mile long.
I'm very thankful to the lady who helped me so much and also told the mealy mouthed **** to get his ass in gear. She stayed with me almost the entire time. She helped me to keep talking to the victim, she helped me to keep him immobile as he was writhing and screaming in agony. She helped me wash the blood so we could assess his condition better. That lady was amazing and I never got her name. Then when she couldn't take any more she took my son to see the horses in the trailer that she was returning from a show with. I'm thankful to the 1st hysterical girl. At least she got out of her car and tried to help. She took care of my son. I'm thankful to the girl that helped get the water. Earlier when we moved the guy she had the job of supporting his legs. She discovered the nearly severed feet. She started to lose it, but I got her to hang in there long enough to move him to safety. I'm thankful to her for giving me the idea to check his pocket so I had some ID I could give the Sheriffs deputies and for giving me a name to call the victim by. I'm thankful to the Sheriffs deputies and highway patrol for taking control of a chaotic situation once they arrived and for not keeping me for so long. I'm thankful to the guys working on the Town Car who had the idea and the tools to drag it to safety. I'm thankful to the life flight crews from the area's multiple hospitals. They put those birds down on the two lane road in some damned tight quarters with power lines all around them and they did it with style and panache. I'm thankful to the ER and ICU staffs at the area hospitals. Everyone who was alive at the scene WILL live because of their efforts. Though I'm pissed at em, I do want to thank the EMT working with me for having faith in my abilities and for being a quick judge of character and I want to thank the paramedics for jumping on the scene like gang busters once they got there. Their professionalism saved EVERYONE who was alive once they arrived.
Most importantly I want to thank my son for being who he is and for making his dad feel 10 feet tall. He is my hero.