Summit First Aid SquadPress Clipping |
Construction Accident Buries Man (9/13/96)
An excavation accident at the site of the new home construction project on O'Shea Lane in Summit left a construction worker partially buried for over an hour. The accident occurred between the NJ Transit railroad track and the cul de sac of O'Shea Lane, a new street under construction off Beekman Rd. A trench that had been dug for placement of sewer lines for the new home project collapsed, burying a 28-year old man up to his neck in dirt.
At 3:55 p.m. the Summit Fire Department received the call for a trench collapse with an entrapment. Less than a minute later, the Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad was dispatched to Memorial Field for an ankle injury. The Squad's first crew was still committed to this call when the Fire Department requested their assistance at 4:09, so a back-up call was transmitted, bringing off-duty members from home and work. Squad members Carol Simonini, Mike D'Ecclessis, Alice Nichols and Karen Stenstrom responded with a second ambulance. Because of the high risk of rescuer injury, the first crew was also summoned to the scene after completing their call. A Paramedic unit from Overlook Hospital also responded. "During strenuous rescue operations such as this, there is always a chance of injury to rescuers as well as the possibility of a secondary collapse. We always want to have sufficient resources available to deal with any situation that may arise", said Squad President Carl Ganger, who also responded to the scene.
Oxygen was administered and communication with the victim was maintained via a portable radio while firefighters from Summit, assisted by members of the Elizabeth, Cranford, and Madison Fire Departments worked to free him.
Just after 6:00 p.m. the man was removed from the trench and turned over to the First Aid Squad for treatment. He was transported by ambulance to Tatlock field, transferred to "NorthStar", a State Police med-evac helicopter and then flown to the trauma center at University Hospital in Newark. The patient received only minor injuries and was released from the hospital later that night.
During this emergency, a driver received minor injures in an automobile accident on Summit Ave. An ambulance from the Chatham Emergency Squad was called to this scene and assisted by Summit Squad member Paul Vickery.
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