A 41 year-old man was trapped under an over-turned tractor for nearly an hour, Saturday morning 13-June. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue was notified of the incident at 08:26 on a path that ran through the woods off of the end of Gary Street east of Walterboro. The man had been operating a tractor with a bush hog when the unit fell into a ditch and flipped over. The driver was pinned under the tractor in about 6 inches of water. The front of the tractor miraculously landed on a culvert and by the grace of God did not crush the driver.
Barry W. McRoy photo
Barry W. McRoy photo
Barry W. McRoy photo
Heavy fire apparatus could not reach the scene so firefighter-paramedics walked about 2/10 of a mile down the path to reach the patient. Extrication equipment, including high pressure air bags and hydraulic tools were transferred to a fire department pickup truck and transported to the location. Crews stabilized the tractor with a winch and cribbing. Firefighters used hand tools to dig under the tractor in an attempt to free his legs. The steering wheel and pieces of the tractor were removed with Holmatro hydraulic cutters so the man could be slid out. The actual extrication took about 35 minutes. He was extricated with full spinal precautions, then placed in a stokes basket to be carried up the embankment. The man complained of pain to his legs and received a second degree burn from hot oil dripping on his legs. He was transported to Colleton Medical Center for further treatment. Units were on the scene for about 1-1/2 hours.
Engine 19, Medic 19, Rescue 1, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Captain Chris Jones served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
Three New Yorkers and a large canine were trapped in a minivan after it left the highway and flipped on its side in the morning of 02-December. At 09:23, several callers reported the accident to Colleton County (SC) 9-1-1 operators. The northbound Honda minivan left the roadway at a high rate of speed near the 40-mile marker at the Colleton-Hampton County line.
The vehicle slide down the embankment, uprooted a tree, and rolled over onto the passenger side trapping the three occupants. The exterior of the van was wrapped in vines, making it difficult to see from the highway. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue Engine 13 arrived to find the car in the swamp along the Combahee River. They reported hearing the occupants banging on the inside of the van.
Firefighter-Paramedics stabilized the van using the winch from Rescue 1, cribbing, and stabilizer jacks. A chain saw was used to remove several small trees and the vines from around the van. Crews were then able to force open the rear hatch to the van. After a few minutes of unloading luggage from the back of the van, personnel were able to access the patients.
The large canine was secured by a male patient and later placed in a dog carrier. Two patients suffered non-life threatening multiple traumatic injuries and were extricated with spinal precautions. The third patient refused treatment and ambulance transportation.
Low angle rigging was used to pulled the patients up the embankment. Hampton County EMS transported one female patient to Colleton Medical Center (CMC). Colleton County Fire-Rescue Medic 13 transported the other female patient to CMC. Northbound traffic was down to a single lane for an hour, causing it to back up for several miles. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
Engine 13, Rescue 1, Medic 1, Medic 13, Car 12, Car 105, Car 107, Car 117, Animal Control, and Hampton County EMS responded. Deputy Chief David Greene served as the incident commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
