Bad Day!!!

[westcoaststrokin]

Today I was standing in Control on my Sub talking to the Commanding Officer about stuff when I heard the most disturbing noise that I have ever heard.

A guy had fallen down the Forward Logistics Escape Trunk. That is a fall of roughly 20'. He landed flat footed on a steel deck and the sound that I heard was his leg breaking.

This is a guy that is part of my crew and we go up and down these ladders on almost an hourly basis. It was a sobering sight seeing and hearing that happen.

Now for the good part. The federal fire department EMT's are experts in high angle rescues and they proved their expertise to me today. The had the guy stabilized and off of the boat in less than 20 minutes. The only knock on them was they didn't put him in a Cervical collar. Great bunch of folks and they def know their stuff.

Oh and for those that are concerned the guy is going to be alright. He goes into surgery in a couple hours to get it all fixed up.

[mudrunninpig]

dang that stinks. I hope he heals quickly

[Goose350]

Ouch. That had to hurt. Glad hes going to be ok.

that makes me hurt just thinking about it... glad he is goin to be fine

[bigcountrysg]

A C-collar is not always needed. If the patient is not complaining about a neck injury or back pain. If there is no sign of neck injury or back pain. Then the C-collar is not 100% needed.

[dieseldan2005]

Hopefully it wasn't his femur. mine hurts just thinkin about it.

[ABOBB]

OUCH!!! !

[westcoaststrokin]

Originally Posted by dieseldan2005

Hopefully it wasn't his femur. mine hurts just thinkin about it.

Nope not his femur luckily. I will get a text in the middle of the night letting me know exactly what it was. He should be going into surgery soon.

[westcoaststrokin]

Heard today that he has a 20% chance of losing his foot. He shattered his lower leg way worse than what we thought and he ended up getting airlifted from the Naval Hospital to Harborview which is a level one trauma center. He has been through one surgery and has at least a couple more to go.

[Dave]

Ouch that sounds painful. I agree with Josh. With that fall the patient should have been collared and long boarded precautionarily. The force was there to shatter his tib/fib. And the fall distance are enough.