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A quick-thinking fire captain in California An extraordinary roadside rescue, mobilizing nearly 15 drivers to pick up a crashed medic helicopter From a trapped paramedic.
Sacramento Fire Captain Peter Vandersluis found himself directing an impromptu team on State Route 50, Just minutes after the plane went down.
He issued commands – “lift” and “hold” – which the bystanders followed precisely, allowing the debris to be lifted.
“Just out of instinct – people were ready to help, and they didn’t hesitate and followed my exact commands,” Captain Vandersluis reported. The Associated Press On Tuesday.
“And we were able to pick it up easily.” The paramedic, a nurse, and the pilot on board were all taken to the hospital in critical condition after the Monday evening crash, which occurred east of downtown Sacramento.
Captain Vandersluis, supervising the first fire engine crew to arrive, recognized the urgency of the situation and the delay in waiting for additional rescue teams.
“Once I heard the woman moaning, I decided to essentially scream and get the bystanders to help me lift the helicopter up,” he said, highlighting the urgent need for action.
A firefighter tried to rescue a paramedic only to discover that she was trapped by her seat belt. Scooter under the firefighter, cut the seat belt and saved him. The ad hoc team lifted the aircraft in about 30 seconds. By the time the firefighter brought out the paramedic, less than a minute had passed.
After the paramedic was safely removed the group slowly lowered the aircraft to the ground.
Valdersluis said he has never led a group of citizens in an emergency response situation before. But he said his job is to lead the men and women he works with on a daily basis. His training and nearly 20 years of experience as a firefighter told him what to do.
His engine was responding to a motorcycle accident nearby in the westbound lane of the same highway when the helicopter crashed. The engine drove to the scene against traffic and reached there within minutes.
Some drivers were already out of their cars trying to assist when firefighters arrived.
Amy Braddock was among those who helped. he told KCRA-TV She rushed to the crash site after watching the helicopter plummet onto the sidewalk.
“As soon as I saw everyone going to try to push the helicopter out to help the first responders get to the passenger, I just went over and got in the line of people and was just pushing it as hard as I could,” Braddock said. “Then we held it in place for several minutes, so first responders could get the person out.”
Firefighters said they did not confirm whether the helicopter caught fire. When it crashed, white smoke billowed out of the plane, but Vandersluis said it was released by an onboard fire sprinkler system.
No one was injured on the highway, something Captain Justin Sylvia with the Sacramento Fire Department called “mind blowing”, noting that the helicopter crashed in the center of the highway.
“People reported that they basically saw the helicopter go down quickly. So all traffic slowed down,” Sylvia said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said they were investigating the crash of the Airbus EC-130 T2.
The aircraft was a Reach Air medical helicopter, according to the company, which said in a statement that they were “keeping all those affected in our thoughts and prayers.”
“We are in the process of determining the details of this situation, including the condition of the access crew, who were all transported to area hospitals,” the company statement said.
Sacramento City Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan was a ride-along with law enforcement responding to the crash and said plumes of white smoke were coming from the helicopter below.
“It’s really a lot,” he said.