Country folk do it better.

[British Red]

About half six tonight we were firing up the barbecue. Heard a squeal of breaks and that horrible metallic "bang" that implies something much more severe than a fender bender. Grabbed the high vis jackets, big first aid grab bag and the lady wife and legged it across our back paddock to the sound of the noise. Nothing too special so far - we were on the scene in under two minutes.

By the time we got there we saw a serious head on RTA on a bend on a 60mph road - one car rolled into a water filled dyke, the other with front and driver side trashed and blood covered elderly lady driver. Why am I happy? Well a first responder attending to the elderly lady, two guys were chest deep in the dyke and the driver was already out of the rolled flooding car and the heavy lifting gear was en route from the farm and lorry park in case they couldn't get him out. Ambulance, fire brigade and old bill were called and cutting gear for the (right side up) car, had been requested.

All we could contribute was don our high vis jackets and close the road at both ends and get a neighbour to get our yard brooms etc. to clear a path through the broken glass for the emergency services.

Now our "community" is a farm, six houses and a haulage firm. Bewteen them they provided a medic, a first responder, heavy lifting gear, two guys in the water, a closed road and someone working comms in under four minutes flat. Very proud of our little cluster of local yokels tonight.

Oh - everyone was conscious and an "A" or "V" on the AVPU scale when taken off by ambulance - certainly shocked but with luck they should make a full recovery barring some interesting scars perhaps.

Red

 

[SimonM]

Excellent...you are rightly proud of your community.

Simon

 

[Robbi]

fantastic ! well done you lot

 

[Mesquite]

Nice one Hugh... good to hear about communities pulling together in times of need

 

[Harvestman]

Well done Red.

Your experience is better than mine.

I was first on the scene after a speeding car had hit a tree, and then rolled, bringing the tree down behind it. I was very lucky to not be 'collected' by the tree myself as I came around the bend.

The car involved was on its side, engine still running, and the driver (a teenage girl) screaming "Help, get me out". Had to talk her through climbing out of the passenger window, and then catch her when she jumped. Then, with other people arriving on the scene and emergency services called, I was the only one who thought to go up the road and slow down oncoming traffic. When I trotted back to the scene to check, there were loads of bystanders in a circle around the car, despite the engine still running and smoke pouring out. Had to shout in my 'teacher' voice to get the fools to move to a safe distance.

No-one hurt, apart from the tree, but also no-one helped. Just stood around gawking. Police didn't even interview me when they arrived.

So you should be doubly proud of your community, because it was a lot better than mine.

 

[HillBill]

Nicely done

 

[British Red]

So you should be doubly proud of your community, because it was a lot better than mine.

I really was tonight. No fuss, just calm capable people doing what needed to be done. I've been "first on scene" three time before to major RTAs and its always been a question of organising safety, traffic direction, comms, first aid etc.

Tonight we were almost not needed - so road closing was a simple task.

It was such a pleasure to be surrounded by such capable people. In no way decrying townies, but I do feel that small country communities really shine when the chips are down.

Red

 

[Lynx]

Yep, burglers are getting very clever at getting you away from your property!

....seriously though, that was a very impressive response.,