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Firefighter fell down rock
By Jim
Fairchild
Above the
eastern edge of Riverside City rises the steep,
blocky massif of Box Springs Mountain. Its brush
covered slopes gain 1500-2000ft. elevation before
a more or less plateau-like formation, festooned
with many radio and electronic devices on the
peaks. Annually there are a number of fires that
burn the grass and shrubs that resolutely grow
back.
Late Wednesday
afternoon a fire started just east of Belvedere
Heights, which is a bit northeast of the
University of California campus. About 150
firefighters from the California Department of
Corrections successfully put lines around it, and
by the middle of the night only spot fires flared
and subsided.
Diego Bernal,
24, of Los Angeles, was cutting brush when he
tumbled down a very steep, rock face about 35-50
feet and landed on more rocks. For a while he was
able to continue working, but then complained of
violent head pains, a sore shoulder, and pain
about the tailbone. His crewmates had him lie
down while they sent for help.
Now, at 2:00
a.m. most mornings we of RMRU aren't usually up
to see what's happening, even fires.
Nevertheless, our coordinator Al Andrews was busy
calling us out, having been alerted to the need
for evacuating Diego. I rolled to find Bernie
McIlvoy and Jim Anholm putting the frame and
wheel on the stokes litter. Soon we were sweating
up a dirt road and then a horse trail looking for
an informant who was to meet us near the accident
scene. Before long we startled the informant into
action, and shortly were examining Diego while
his concerned friends watched. Nothing to
serious, Dr. Jim determined, so we lifted Diego
into the litter and wheeled him out. Part way
down the trail we met and put to work John &
Roy Dew, Rick Pohlers. Kevin Walker, and Mel
Krug.
After seeing
our patient aboard the ambulance we returned home
to salvage a bit of sleep from our interrupted
night.
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