*** Young Boy Rescued from Snowbank ***

Thu Dec  8 03:05:11 1994
Message : #19601483    From: Vince J. MacKenzie
Address : vmackenz@calvin.stemnet.nf.ca
Group   : Usenet.misc.emerg-services
Length  : 303 words
Subject : Rescue from snowbank


Org.  : STEM~Net

I just returned from an incident that involved a little boy 41/2 years
old that I belive has just made my Christmas already. About three hours
ago my fire department recieved a call for a possible child buried under
a bank of snow that a payloader had just cleared off of a parking lot
behind this boys back yard. His mother noticed his tracks go under the
pile of snow but they did not come out. Apparently the boy was playing
behind the bank when a tractor pushed snow over him and buried him alive. 
The operator of the equipment had no way of seeing the boy beforehand. I
knew something was wrong when our dispatcher told us to bring snow
shovels from our home to this alarm.

Our area recieved its first major snowfall yesterday around 40 cm or
12 to 15 inches are on the ground.Our firefighters responded and called
police, municipal public works,  police, Ground SAR, and ambulance, also
numerous volunteers off the street dug for over an hour by hand and located the
child under about 3 to 4 feet of snow.

He was concious but not alert when we pulled him out. I rode with him
in the ambulance and watched him come to and helped with him in
the ER. I was also there to see the reunion with his parents and
all I can say is that I will certainly be having a Good
Christmas this year,  After all the ugly scenes that we get called to, it
really is good in our profession to have a success like this one
every now and then.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY !

-
Vince Mackenzie, Firefighter III
Grand Falls - Windsor, Newfoundland, Canada
1994 NFPA Learn Not To Burn Champion


(Vince J. MacKenzie)