Ross/West View EMS/Rescue units Medic 2142, 312 Rescue 40, and ALS Squad 2175 were dispatched to St. Nick’s Cemetery in Reserve Township Pennsylvania for a report of a 14 year old male with his leg trapped under a tombstone. The caller reported the legs appears to be broken. On arrival additional information was received from the caller that the incident occurred about 40 minutes prior to the 911 call. Neither the patient nor his friend had a cell phone with them. The friend attempted to move the tombstone but could not. The friend then had to run through the cemetery and find a neighbor to call 911. Scene assessment revealed a granite tombstone with dimensions of 47″w x 32″h x 9″d, the weight was calculated to be approximately 1400 pounds. While Medics Biernstein and Skirble were beginning medical care to include cardiac monitoring, IV placement and treatment for crush injury syndrome, EMTs Mellinger and Jackson with assistance from Reserve Township VFD Engine 317 stabilized the tombstone with wood cribbing and selected the Paratech Air Bag system as their lifting option. Once the tombstone and patient were stabilized and both teams reported they were ready for the lift, Supervisor Reinert coordinated the lift and additional cribbing to capture the load. The patient was extricated, moved to the ambulance and transported to the Level 1 Trauma center at Allegheny General hospital in Pittsburgh. Total time on scene was 40 minutes.

The Paratech Lifting Bags were purchased about 1 year prior to the incident to replace the old system that had exceeded its recommended life. Our crew training every morning on a rotating medical and rescue topic. The prior week’s training was on the Paratech Lifting bag system. While we are equipped with a variety of tools to lift various objects this was the perfect opportunity to use the Paratech Lifting Bags and they worked flawlessly. The lift was slow and very controlled allowing our Medics to continue to provide patient care throughout the operation. Thank you Paratech for making great products they allow us to work safely and efficiently.

People Involved:

Charles Reinert – Operational Supervisor – Incident Command

Todd Skirble – Rescue/Paramedic – Patient care and treatment

Rich Biernstein – Rescue/Paramedic – Patient Care and Treatment

Dylan Jackson – Rescue/EMT – Stabilization and lifting operation

Doug Mellinger – Rescue/EMT – Stabilization and lifting operation