DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/28/2009
INCIDENT TYPE: Special Rescue
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 29th Avenue and High Drive
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99203
NARRATIVE: At 5:27 PM on Tuesday, July 28, 2009, the Spokane Fire Department was dispatched to a reported vehicle over the embankment of High Drive on Spokane's south hill. The caller was driving on Highway 195, which is in the Latah valley, and reported that they saw a vehicle go down the embankment near the area of Highway 195 and Thorpe Rd. The exact location of the vehicle was not reported, and the only caller on the incident did not remain at the scene. Fire crews searched the area from above on High Drive as well as from below on Highway 195. There was no evidence of a vehicle found in this area, so with no further information to go on, the crews returned in-service.
Then at 6:35 PM fire crews were once again dispatched to a reported vehicle over the High Drive embankment. This time the caller, who was hiking on the hillside, reported that he was at the vehicle, and had one injured victim. The caller also provided a more accurate location of 29th Avenue at High Drive. As crews arrived on the scene, they began working their way down the hillside as the caller worked his way up to meet them. This coordinated effort resulted in locating the victim and the start of the rescue effort. Because the vehicle was slightly more than half way down the embankment, three additional fire companies, including the Spokane Fire Department's technical rescue team, were dispatched to begin accessing the incident scene from the Avista substation at the bottom of the hill. The lone victim, an 18 year old male, was trapped in the crumpled car, which had apparently barrel-rolled and end-over-end rolled several times during its plunge down the embankment. The vehicle's descent was slowed and finally stopped by heavy brush, which stopped it at the brink of a particularly steep portion of the hill. While crews worked on extricating the victim from the vehicle, others treated his injuries and evaluated the options for removing him from the hillside. Because of the trail network on the upper portion of the hillside, it was decided that the quickest method would be to use a special single wheeled stretcher, designed for use in such rough terrain. Once the victim was removed from the vehicle, he was brought up the hill to an awaiting ambulance at 29th and High Drive. Two AMR ambulance crews assisted the Spokane Fire Department in this rescue. The victim was transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center where he is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. There is no doubt that the victim's lack of more serious injuries is due to the fact that he wore a seat belt. Even though this was a very physically demanding rescue, there were no injuries to any of the rescuers.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The Spokane Police Department is investigating the cause of the incident, which may have been due to an existing medical condition.
DAMAGE EXTENT: N/A
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 18
MUTUAL AID: None Given
For more information on this release, please call (509)625-7002 and/or check out the SFD Blog at www.spokanefire.blogspot.com
END OF RELEASE
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