09.05.2006

Another helicopter rescue in LA

The Los Angeles fire department was called on to make the second rescue of an operator from the same tower crane in as many months, this Sunday. The operator of the 100 metre Liebherr tower crane owned by Morrow crane, broke his leg after trapping his foot while working on the cranes hoist cable.
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The operator was trapped on the machinery deck.

Twelve Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, seven rescue ambulances, one Heavy Rescue, two Urban Search and Rescue Units, two Helicopters, two EMS Battalion Captains, two Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, and one Division Chief Officer Command Team responded to an emergency call from a building site in Century City, Rancho Park, Los Angeles

How the 30 year old crane driver managed to get his foot so badly trapped in the cable on the machinery deck above and to the rear of the cab is not clear. The cable had almost severed his foot. An eye witnesses said that the man had been working on the crane, when his leg became entangled between the cable and sheaves.

The firemen and Paramedics had no choice but to carry a full-complement of advanced life support and safety equipment up the cranes ladder system to the rear boom.

Because of the severity of the man’s injuries, a nearly amputated foot, a decision was made to utilize the fire departments air operations to perform a hoist evacuation. A Bell 412-EP helicopter configured as an Air Ambulance hovered 30 metres above the crane

The man was then secured with a rescue harness after it was determined that a ‘litter basket’ lift was too dangerous given the obstructions from the cranes upper structure. He was then hoisted into the helicopter and transported to UCLA Medical Center in Westwood where he underwent emergency surgery.

On February 23rd this year another driver was rescued from the same crane after having suffered a heart attack. See crane driver rescued, Feb 27