Tractor Rollover Rescue

[BamaRob]

jinman,

I'm currently a First Responder at my place of employment. In any emergency situation, the first thing you are instructed to check for are the "ABC's" (Airway, Breathing, Circulation). Check first to make sure the airway is not obstructed, then check to make sure they are breathing, then check for circulation. So, yes, the plan of action may be different if there is breathing difficulty or heart attack/damage. The possiblility of neck or spinal injury takes a back seat when the victim cannot breath or their circulation is being rendered useless by crushing weight. If they're breathing OK and have no apparant circulation problems, then proper care should be taken to minimize the risk of neck or spinal injury when moving them.

In the case of your father's situation, I would have likely done the same as you and your neighbor. Even though there was risk of neck/spine injury in moving him, there would have certainly been a higher risk of suffocation or heart failure had you not gotten him out from underneath the weight of the tractor.

BR

 

[scott_vt]

Don, I think I went to that "school" when I was 15. Only, I had no emergency equipment or cribbing and it was my dad under the tractor. I could not help but think about the time factor of rigging all that cribbing and airbag jacks to get someone out. My father's chest was crushed and he had a bruised heart.

I didn't know it at the time what the extent of his injuries were, but the tractor running and continuing to beat him was not a good thing. I shut off the engine and then pushed as hard as I could on one of the wheels. I was able to roll the tractor slightly and hold it while I screamed for help. Luckily a neighbor heard me and came running. While I held the tractor, he was able to carefully get my dad out.

So, perhaps we did the wrong thing, but it sure seemed right at the time. Can you estimate how long your practice rescue would take? I know you have to be careful for back and spine injuries, but if someone was having breathing difficulty or a heart attack, would you follow the same procedure?

Hi Jim,
This is an excellent thread and one that I can relate to. I have never taken that particular course but have taken many rescue courses along with airbag rescue techniques. I have been a volunteer almost 25 years and seen a lot of nasty accidents IMO, you were a boy trying to save your Dad. I think you got lucky, only because that tractor could have rolled back on your Dad, and probablly killing him. In a rural enviroment you sometime have to take calculated chances. You took one and won! There are many that are not so fortunate !

Normally we use the Golden Hour Rule. Meaning that from the time the call goes in to the dispatch, until the victim is in the hospital, you have about 60 mins total before shock seriously hampers the victims chances of survival. We usually make it or are very close on the more difficult rescues.

All we can do is are BEST!

 

[Gator6x4]

"play doctor" for a half hour, accomplishing absolutely nothing, except prolonging the victim's pain before going on to the hospital.

Gone are the "Snatch-Grab-Run" days. Injury stabilization at the scene in my opinion is the reason injury deaths have declined. The majority of EMT's in large urban areas are in direct radio contact with the local Trauma Center when they are at an incident location. Most times it is the Doctor in the Trauma Center who make the decision to transport by land or air. I commend the individuals who in most instances take their own time (No Pay)to learn proper first aid procedures so they can better assist us when needed. I like Bird can remember the days when ambulance service was provided by a local Funeral Home and first aid was provided by a Police Officer, who received first aid training in the military several years ago. The joke at that time was, the Funeral Home did it to obtain clients. Most Emergency Personnel today will utilize tools, equipment, brute force manpower or what is at hand to extract someone. I don't think they would wait for equipment when they could improvise and accomplish the same task. At least I have never seen them stand by and wait while someone needed immediate care. The knowledge of how to properly extridate an injured person from an incident is very important. Having somone on scene with this background, training and expertise in an emergency situation is in my opinion invaluable. The first and primary responsbility of First Responders is, "Prevent The Situation From Getting Worse." I have seen EMT's enter non-stablized locations, accident scenes, industrial accidents, etc. to render first aid.

I think First Aid Training should be required prior to license issuance for all "Rubber Neckers". They are going to stop, park and gawk and prevent First Responders from reaching an incident scene. It can take a very long time for emergency personnel to reach you if you are involved in a serious incident on a heavily traveled interstate highway today.

 

[jinman]

Thanks Scotty and everyone for tolerating my questions. When I read Don's post and saw those pictures, a flood of detailed memories came back.

I should also point out that my father had ample to time to get off the tractor before it rolled and he was pinned. He knew it was out of control and could have shut it down or just jumped off since the tractor was not moving very fast. The front tires were off the ground from the overloaded dirt scoop in the rear. He tried to use differential braking to steer. The tractor wheeled around 180º and headed back into the ditch before it rolled. It was a very avoidable accident that he never fully recovered from.

The effect of most accidents goes far beyond the person involved. I surely agree that first responders are among the many people who put themselves at risk to rescue a victim. Unfortunately, nobody really thinks they will be the victim until it's too late to rationally consider all the options or consequences.

 

[trlong]

Not being trained, or working as a 1st responder, I've found this thread very useful. For those reading this without the benefit of serious training, I suggest that you contact your LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee), CERT (Community Ermergency Response Team/Training), or other organizations who may be able to provide you with such as the CERT Training Manual. I was just surfing during a particularly slow day and found that, through the Department of Public Safety's website, Emergency Management offers to send you Family and Local emergency planning and training materials (our tax dollars at work

Lots of good stuff in the CERT Manual, even if it is just a refresher for some 1st Aid course you may have taken years ago (and some things have changed recommended procedures).

RE: ABC's of an accident or "Incident Site", absolutely! However, ABC's are NOT the 1st on the list, for "Incident Control". 1st is to "assess and secure the site" (i.e. is the site safe or are more injuries going to be incurred if anyone enters, or stays in the area. That, ofcourse, is always the tough one to swallow as our 1st instinct is to rush in to help. 2nd, if possible, is to send some one else to contact 911.


I had a car rolled over on its side, facing me, one night, my lane on a 2 lane highway, pre-cell phone days. 1st impulse was to rush to the car to try to help. I put the flashers on, a safe distance back from the "scene", blocking the lane, where they could be seen by approaching vehicles. When I got out, my headlights showed the other car was leaking gas all over the road. Fortunately, I carried flares. I sent the guy with me, past the car to put one where oncoming cars could be warned and I headed back a ways to put another one out. By the time I started back to the tipped car, itself, there were 20 or so cars stopped with people all walking toward the gas leak. Several with lit cigarettes in hand. Oh boy, we got a party here! Too late to make a long story short. My point is that had I stopped and run up to save some badly injured person without trying to prevent more mayhem, there is no doubt more would have been injured before any one had a chance to help the victim. BTW: The "victim" was in a dead drunk sleep, completely uninjured.

Just my 2 cents and we know what that's worth these days.

Tom