An accidental fall on Oct 10, 2000 presented unique challenges for the city of Ottumwa, Ia. City of 25,000-30,000 residents in central Ia.
1302 The Call came into ORMICS (Ottumwa Regional Mobile Intensive Care Services )dispatch, (Hospital based Ambulance Service) Caller requested ORMICS respond to Memorial Park Water Tower. Caller stated that a 3 man crew working on the water tower, was leaving the top of the water tower at 1300. when one man fell to the bottom of the water bowl through an opening in the top of the tank. The work crew was sandblasting the interior of the empty water tower in order to paint the structure.
1303 Ambulance is 1076 to scene. The responding crew was Paramedic Vickie Willey and Paramedic Steve West. As soon as the crew was enroute to the scene, dispatch notified Paramedic Brian Bennett to respond to the scene and to bring necessary rescue equipment.
1306 Ambulance is 1023 at scene. Response time to the scene was a very short, for the ambulance crew since the tower is only approx. 1/2 mile from the dispatch garage. We were informed that the pt was concious and alert. Workers on scene related they would be unable to remove pt due to pt having a broken leg and head injuries.
This is the Memorial Park Water Tower in Ottumwa, Ia. The water tower is 180 feet from top to bottom. This tower is a very large tower as you can see it takes 8 legs to hold up this very large tank. The tank itself is 60 feet from the bottom to the top.
..1308 .We are the first emergency personel on scene. We talk to co-workers of patient. Informs us that worker now trapped inside of the tank was the last worker to leave the tank. Pt later informes us that he remembers the fall and watching the sections of metal go by as he fell very rapidly. After the fall the worker had gained the others crew members attention by pounding on the floor of the tower with his hand. They return to the inside of the tank and found worker on the floor with broken leg and head injuries. . One worker exited to call 911. They describe what the inside structure of the tower is like. One co-worker has stayed with the patient to prevent any further injury to the patient. Worker They tell us they have spoke to the patient and that he is in a lot of pain.
1311 Ottumwa Police and Ottumwa Fire Dept arrive on scene short time after our arrival. Incident Command is assumed by Fire Dept personel. They inform us that they do not have any equipment or the training for any rescue such as this. We do not have a crane in the city limits that will reach the distance needed. closest one is 90 miles away in Des Moines, Ia.
1314 We inform incident command that we have the equipment and the training to do this rescue and that equipment is enroute as we speak.
1315 We contact dispatch and inform them of what we have, also request a second ambulance for backup and for the safety of rescuers on scene. Additional crew is called in to help with ambulance runs at the hospital.
1318 Brian Bennett arrives with SITRT's equipment which is layed out at the bottom of the water tower for easy access. As nylon Repelling Safety Harness are being applied per the two members SITRT team (Brian Bennett and Steve West), they are discussing a plan of action to remove the pt. It is decided to gain entry to the patient and see what will be the best way to extricate the patient once we see the inside of the tower.
1319 Second ambulance arrives at scene with paramedic Teri McDavitt and David Howard, along with EMS Pt Care Coordinator. The tower has been well vented during the past couple of weeks by crew doing the repair work. This is not considered to be a confined rescue. A large hole had been cut in the bottom of the tower for better ventilation and the removal of sand from the blasting. A pully system to get equipment to the top of the tower already exsists, one which the work crew had been using. We move toward the bottom of the ladder. As we approach we realize that this is not a practice, this is for real.
1322 Brian attaches his repel harnes, to the safety cable and starts the 180 foot climb. Short time after I attach to the cable and start the long climb upward.
Pic#2 Looking up from the bottom of the 180 foot water tower.
Looking downard from the walkway around the bottom of the tank. 120 down. You can feel the wind above the trees.
Just 60 feet to go
1332: Finally we reach the roof of the tower. Secure self to the top of tower. Using 1 inch tubular webbing , we secure two 100 feet long kernmantle ropes and drop down the tank.
1342: Rescuers repell down 60 feet to bottom of tank. X marks the spot where the pt landed in picture below. Notice how close the patient land to the 120 foot hole next to him. Picture to the right shows the view from where patient landed to the opening from which he fell. Note the rope ladder they used to climb as an entrance and exit.....
Large X on the floor marks where the Patient landed. Note the 120 foot drop to his right
Square hole above shows where the patient fell from. 60 feet.
1345 We find the patient conscious and alert. Patient informs us of what happened and where he hurts. Worker has suffered broken leg and head injuries.
1400 Paramedics on ground continue to sent equipment up the pully system which is being layed by our side by the other workers on the site. We maintain radio contact with the ground crew, but have a hard time understanding the radio traffic at sometimes due to the echoing inside of the tank. Appropriate equipment for pt care is sent by the ground crew up the pully system. Appropriate BLS and ACLS patient care is given to patient with regard to distance of fall and injuries, We have notified Dispatch to have Air Care on stand by, and the ground crew that we will be bringing the patient out of the tank by repelling with the patinet down a 120 foot long fill tube. This tube is estimated to be six foot wide. We have suitable anchor inside of the tank.
Rigging is being connected to the anchor inside ot the tank by Paramedics Brian and Steve. We have attached six 200 foot lines down the inside of the tube. One rope each to repel on and one as a safetly for each. Entering the tank after approx 2 hrs have gone by a group from Cargil that has recently been trained in confined and high angle rescue have came to assist with this rescue. We are very greatful for the help. We reviewed our plan of exit with the patient. It was agreed on by all that this would be the best plan, as opposed to raising the patient 60 feet and then lowering him down the outside which felt We would be more dangerous than down the tube. Cargil Rescuers in the tank with us were Marvin Martin (also a Paramedic working at Cargil) and Ted Hoover. Cargil supplied the much needed ground crew also. They were Dale Childress, Jerry Hedgecock, Todd Howard, and Kirk Bruce. Everything was falling into place and going as the first responding crew at scene had planned. Pt was secured to the stokes Basket by Cargil personnel with 1 inch tublar webbing and rope was weaved around the basket. Pt was attached to two ladder rack repelling devices each controled by one of the Cargil employees. Paramedics Brian and Steve prepared to repel down the tube with patient since there were several metal pertrusions sticking out from the sides of the tube. We would repel down with the patient making sure he would not get caught on these and that the ropes would not be damaged by them. Ground Crew was notified to prepare to accept pt care on our exit of the tube. Most difficult part of the rescue was getting patient up over the 4 foot railing around the hole without letting the pt hit the wall. With patient in stokes basket the basket was raised over the opening by two 1 inch tubular webbing attached to left and right side of the bottom of the strokes basket. And with the aid of two 1/2 kernmantle rope at the top of basket. The bottom of the basket was lowered until it rested onto the side of the tube. All rigging and knots were checked and rechecked serveral times by staff inside of the tank. The patient is lowered down the tube with paramedics at his side. Approx. 3.5 hours after the fall the pt was removed from the tower without incident. Once at the bottom of the tower the patient was removed out of the tube and Paramedic Vickie Willey assumed care of Patient. Patient moved to awaiting ambulance. We exit to find a large crowd of bystanders around the fence and several news helicopters overhead. Also on scene was a large crane that had been driven 25 miles without permits with the permission of the DOT to assist in the rescue. Crane did not have enough height to assist with the rescue. But it was a great backup plan. The patient was taken to the awaiting ambulance and transferred to Ottumwa Regional Hospital where patient was stablized and later transferred to the University of Iowa, in Ia City for further care. The patient remained critical for several days. Pt was released and sent home to recooperate. This event was broadcast by several TV stations in Ia and Mo. plus lot of radio and newspaper coverage.
Steve West Paramedic
This is where the patient was removed from. You can see the welded area that had been cut for the removal of the Patient.
Patient kept asking us if we had ever done this before. During the rescue we assured him we had done this before On the way to the helicopter we told the truth to the patient. " This is our first actual rescue, the rest were only pactice" He simled and said he owed us a _ _ _ _ !! Well Mr Patient, if you are reading this we are still waiting.....
Quotes we remember from the Tower Rescue Oct..10, 2000
Scene as we approached the Tower Oct. 10,2000
Worker on tower
Base of Memorial Water tower
Looking up from the bottom of water tower.
View from 90 foot off of the ground. You can feel the difference in the wind above the top of the trees.
ORHC ( Hospital below)
Thsi is the view from the walkway on the tank. 120 feet in the air.
Equipment being used
to sandblast the
tower.
One of 2 ORMICS Ambulances at scene.
View looking down inside of the tank to the floor. The ladder is a rope lader being used by work crew at tower. Looking close to center of photo you can see a metal ladder leading to the rope. Distance to the bottom 60 feet. The distance patient fell.
View is looking up from the floor to the opening from which patient fell to the floor. 60 feet. Rope ladder in center of picture.
Looking up from the bottom of tank.
Looking down the tube in which the pt was removed from the tank of tower. 120 feet to bottom.
Area pt. landed.
Most remembered comment to us was a quote by the CEO of Ottumwa Regional Health Center, Lynn Olson.
*This incident is scheduled to appear in the May issue of Jems Magaizine. "FIRERESCUE".
