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What a RUSH! high angle rescue
I was on shift last night while we were watching the "Lord of the Rings Trilogy" when all of the sudden we got toned out to a rescue situation at our new amusement park.
I was like doh... partial bunkered out and jumped into the engine to start rolling to the scene.
We arrived on the scene to find a set of coaster cars between 70 and 80 feet up on the tracks that had frozen in place. We called for mutual aid getting the ladder rolling and my Lt. tasked me with getting to the top of the coaster.
I had to climb 2 service ladders to finally reach the 2 employees and 6 kids that were at the top of the roller coaster. I never looked down, just kept climbing as fast as I could until I got to the top where I had to make a jump over to the platform.
The ladder arrived and we started to get the kids down one by one. The first car was emptied and then I had to climb into the first car and out into the second car to get to the other kids. That part was probably the scariest since there was only a small connecting pin inbetween the cars. It was the biggest adrenaline rush I have had in a while. We got the last 2 kids down and then the workers. Once everyone was down I followed suit and finally hit the ground again. Everyone got down ok and no one was hurt. Thank God.
I didn't get to sleep until about 3 am, I was way too amped after that one.
FF Schoen
God Bless and Never Forget
Live Life Stronger Than Death
I was like doh... partial bunkered out and jumped into the engine to start rolling to the scene.
We arrived on the scene to find a set of coaster cars between 70 and 80 feet up on the tracks that had frozen in place. We called for mutual aid getting the ladder rolling and my Lt. tasked me with getting to the top of the coaster.
I had to climb 2 service ladders to finally reach the 2 employees and 6 kids that were at the top of the roller coaster. I never looked down, just kept climbing as fast as I could until I got to the top where I had to make a jump over to the platform.
The ladder arrived and we started to get the kids down one by one. The first car was emptied and then I had to climb into the first car and out into the second car to get to the other kids. That part was probably the scariest since there was only a small connecting pin inbetween the cars. It was the biggest adrenaline rush I have had in a while. We got the last 2 kids down and then the workers. Once everyone was down I followed suit and finally hit the ground again. Everyone got down ok and no one was hurt. Thank God.
I didn't get to sleep until about 3 am, I was way too amped after that one.
FF Schoen
God Bless and Never Forget
Live Life Stronger Than Death
Add a Comment
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Comment by FF Schoen on August 25, 2008 at 10:21pm
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I had my bunker pants on becuase i had personal safety system on them. The cars had been locked and tagged out at the console and both cabled and the air system was shut off at the top of the ride. I was belted during the rescue itself. We thought about the direct point during the rescue and utilized it after emptying out the occupants of the 1st car. They went to a small platform and down the ladder that had been positioned there. It was only after that one was clear that I made my crossing of the cars happen. To get to the other kids and help position them, harness them, and help the other rescuers get them down the ladder. The operation overall was safe. In hindsight, I could have done without wearing the bunker pants, I just did so since I already had a safety built into them.
I appreciate your comments Ben, and I will think about a different approach the next time. This was our first rescue like that at the amusement park. It turned out to be a learning experience for all involved in case it happened again.
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Comment by Ben Waller on August 25, 2008 at 10:11pm
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Did I read your post correctly - you wore part of your turnout gear to a non-fire elevated rescue?
Is there some reason to do that? Generally, turnout gear just gets in the way of rescue from heights. If nothing is on fire, there's generally no reason to wear it.
I'd be interested in hearing more about having to jump across a gap to the coaster car, too?
Was anyone in the car injured or dying? If not, why enter an unsecured coaster car, add weight and a shock load to it, and take the risk that it will move? Was there any lockout/tagout employed? Were the cars secured with ropes, cables, a come-along, or other mechanical device?
It might have been a better idea to simply access a point near the car and talk to the occupants until the ladder company arrived.
I'm glad that no one was hurt and that the rescue was successful, but it sounds as if there were some basic safety procedures that could have made the rescue equally successful but much safer for all concerned.
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