Rescue News

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Unpaid High Water Rescue Fees

May 17th, 2005, San Antonio

We watch them on TV except these dramas and heroes are real. Firefighters risking their own lives to save those who decided to drive through flooded streets. But News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooter Brian Collister discovered once the waters recede the fire department is sometimes left high and dry.The afternoon of August 30, 2001 was a busy day for San Antonio Firefighters. Sky News 4 captured a dangerous rescue live as it unfolded in Leon Creek. We watch as two firefighters fight for their lives as the cold current sucks them under.

San Antonio Firefighter Lt. Nim Kidd, who also helped in the rescue, watched as the firefighters went under, "You know on TV it seems like it's happening in such slow motion and out there on the banks its like get out get out get out!"

Fortunately the story had a happy ending. The firefighters swept down stream were pulled to safety, and James and Evelyn Ivy were rescued from their flooded van.

"At first it didn't seem like it was going to be difficult to cross," says Evelyn Ivy, "but then the water started coming into the vehicle, so we immediately called 911..."

On dry land the driver, James Ivy, takes the blame saying, "It was a mistake on my part, plain and simple."

While he admitted he shouldn't have driven into the high water, Ivy complained there were no barricades up. Because of that Ivy refused to pay the $400 dollar per person rescue fee.That was four years ago, and when the Trouble Shooters caught up with them the Ivy's still owed $800 dollars.

Collister:"I'm Brian Collister with the Trouble Shooters. We're trying to find out why you haven't paid your swift water rescue fine yet?"

James Ivy: "My wife's been working on it and I have no comment other than that for you gentleman, I'm at work. Thank you."

Collister: "How come you haven't paid it?" Ivy: "Sir I have nothing else to say to you I'm at work sir."

Collister: "Those firefighters worked pretty hard to rescue you why wouldn't you just pay the fine?" Ivy: "Thank you sir."

The Trouble Shooters discovered Ivy isn't the only one not paying up. During the 2000 floods firefighters risked their lives using a ladder truck to pluck seven people, including three young children, from the rooftop of a submerged car.Five years later the driver, Jesse Zarita, still owes his $400 dollar fee.In fact a lot of people owe for swift water rescues! Records obtained from the city show over the past 5 years only 19 out of 79 people have paid their rescue fees. Leaving the city owed almost $24,000 dollars. Assistant Fire Chief Carl Wedige has this message for those leaving fire fighters high and dry, "We are pursuing those and we'll do what it takes to get that (fee) collected." And if it were up to Lt. Kidd the fee wouldn't be $400 but $4,000 thousand dollars.

"I couldn't even begin to fathom on what it would feel like to lose a crew member at a water rescue," says Kidd "but I guarantee you it would be worth to me a lot more than $400 dollars."

Kidd says the next time you have the choice to drive through water, "Turn around don't drown save yourself, save your family, save your vehicle, save your checkbook, and you just might end up saving a firefighter one day."

Since our investigation started Evelyn Ivy contacted the Trouble Shooters. She says she and her husband made their first payment last Friday (May 13th), and have made arrangements with SAFD to pay their entire fee.In the meantime SAFD will continue contacting people to remind them to pay up, if they don't they could face legal actions.

From WOAI News, San Antonio

Britain's longest successful resuscitation

The principles of the Mammalian Diving Reflex encourage EMS and Medical Personnel to attempt aggressive and sustained resuscitation efforts to individuals rescued from cold water submersion incidents. Within our Water Rescue, Ice Rescue, and Aquatics Safety curriculums, training programs, and published papers, we've been advocating that the colder the water, the younger the individual, the greater chance they have of surviving a prolonged submersion incident.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, dated July 16, 2004, a toddler was successfully resuscitated after five hours. Doctors believe the cold and chilly weather and the small size of the boy's body caused his temperature to drop suddenly - in effect putting him into a deep freeze that prevented brain injury. The medical team worked for more than five hours with cardiac massage equipment and spent about two more hours to stabilize him. The boy made a full recovery.

Gerald M. Dworkin, Consultant
Aquatics Safety & Water Rescue
LIFESAVING RESOURCES INC.
http://www.lifesaving.com

TODDLER RESUSCITATED AFTER FIVE HOURS
By Kirsten Aiken in London

"A British hospital has brought a two-year-old boy back to life more than five hours after his heart stopped. The operation on the toddler who was found unconscious in a pond lasted seven hours and is Britain's longest successful resuscitation. It has been revealed the two-year-old fell into a pond during the UK winter last December. The seasonal conditions have been credited for his survival. Doctors say the cold water prompted his body temperature to drop, freezing his vital organs and preventing him from suffering brain damage. The boy's father says he is more lively now than before the accident."

First National Summary Report Shows Magnitude of Injuries

Eighteen people die every hour from injuries in the U.S.

Eighteen people die every hour from injuries in America (or 157,000 people in 2001) spanning all age groups, both sexes and all races, according to the first national report for both fatal and nonfatal injuries released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC).

Unintentional injury is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and about one in every three people treated in an emergency department is treated for an injury. CDC researchers also noted that in 2001, an estimated 29.7 million persons, or one in 10 U.S. residents, were treated for nonfatal injuries in hospital emergency departments and 1.6 million were hospitalized or transferred for specialized medical care. Traumatic brain injuries are a leading cause of injury deaths, accounting for about 50,000 deaths each year. More than 1.2 million cases of traumatic brain injuries were treated in 2001.

All of this brings a substantial price tag to U.S. residents - costing an estimated $117 billion in medical care costs annually.

Whether driving or riding in a car, participating in sports and recreation activities, working, or merely doing chores around the house, people can find ways to reduce their risk of injury. Efforts such as wearing a safety belt, not drinking and driving, using safety gear during sports activities, removing hazards in the home that might cause a fall, and learning peaceful ways to resolve conflicts can help reduce the risk of injury.

Key findings in this report for 2001 are:

All Ages

Overall, fatal and nonfatal injuries were higher for males than females and disproportionately affect younger and older persons. Overall, the leading cause of injury death was motor-vehicle traffic crashes and the leading cause of nonfatal injuries treated in hospital emergency departments was unintentional falls.

Motor-vehicle traffic crashes accounted for more than 2.9 million nonfatal occupant injuries treated in hospital emergency departments and almost 33,400 occupant deaths. The motor-vehicle traffic occupant death rate for males was almost twice that of females and the rate was highest for those ages 15 to 24 years.

In 2001, unintentional falls accounted for more than 7.8 million nonfatal injuries treated in hospital emergency departments and more than 15,000 deaths. The unintentional fall nonfatal injury rate for females was higher than that for males and the rate was highest for those ages 75 years and older.

Violence-related injuries also take a toll on Americans. In 2001, almost 21,000 homicides and 31,000 suicides occurred; and almost 1.8 million people were assaulted, while about 323,000 harmed themselves and were treated in hospital emergency departments.

Children 14 years or younger

For children ages one to four years, drowning ranked first above motor-vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes, accounting for over one out of four unintentional injury deaths.

Children ages 14 years and younger suffered almost 450,000 traumatic brain injuries, representing 36% of more than 1.2 million traumatic brain injuries treated among injured persons of all ages.

Teenagers and Young Adults ages 15 to 24 years

The motor vehicle traffic occupant death rate was highest for those ages 15 to 24 year.

Males ages 20 to 24 years had the highest homicide rate and the highest nonfatal assault rate compared to all other ages and more than 80% of homicides were firearm-related.

For persons ages 15 to 24 years, poisoning accounted for 63% of nonfatal self-harm injuries treated in hospital emergency departments.

Adults ages 65 years or older

For adults 65 years or older, fall-related injuries accounted for 62% of unintentional injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. The fall death rate for persons ages 75 years and older is over five times higher than that of any other age group.

Persons ages 75 years and older had the highest suicide rate compared to all other age groups.

This summary uses 2001 national data to examine injury deaths and nonfatal injuries by cause and intent of injury, age, and sex; nonfatal injuries also are presented by primary body part affected and type of injury. The ten leading causes of injury death and nonfatal injury are ranked by age groups for males and females. It does not provide data on injuries and injury deaths by state.