Photo By Capt. Grant Schrantz | The Soldiers of 1st Platoon, 868th Engineer Construction Company, Florida Army...... read more read more
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LIVE OAK, Fla. - Early in the morning on August 30, 2023, 1st Platoon, 868th Engineer Construction Company, of the 448th Chemical Bn., 83rd Troop Command, helped save the life of a man pinned under a tree that fell through the roof of his home in Live Oak, Florida, during Hurricane Idalia.
The mission started when the Suwannee County Emergency Operations Center (“EOC”) asked the 868th if they could assist the City of Live Oak Fire Department and Suwannee County Fire Rescue in rescuing the victim using the 868th’s heavy equipment. “I got a call from Sergeant Hunter and Sergeant Gaines, that we had an emergency situation and to get ready. I didn’t know the situation or what was going on” says HMEE Operator, Sgt. Tommy Hilliard. Shortly after, 1st Platoon, 868th linked up with firefighters at the Live Oak National Guard armory and drove with them through town to the victim’s property.
Upon arrival, fallen trees, a fence, propane tanks, and debris were scattered throughout the yard, blocking much of the path to the house. 1st Platoon’s Platoon Sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Hunter, and Sgt. Hilliard spoke with the firefighters and came up with a plan to get to the house.
“[We decided] to cut the victim’s fence and come through a ditch with the HMEE.” says Hunter. “Once we got the heavy equipment on scene, we had to remove a couple of small fallen trees to make a clear path.”
When they got to the house, Hilliard could not see everything because of the debris and limited visibility in the HMEE, so Hunter spoke with the firefighters and instructed Hilliard to angle the back bucket of the HMEE on top of a large “v” in the tree. At that point, the “v” was the largest part of the tree trunk. Hilliard used the HMEE to hold the tree up high enough to allow the firefighters to reset the crib stacks and airbags they had in place, and set a second airbag, which gave them the additional 4-5 inches of extra lift room they needed to safely remove the victim from under the tree and get him to the hospital. The Florida National Guard’s efforts have been crucial in the State’s Hurricane Recovery Operations. They are part of a larger team with civilian partner agencies and stand ready to assist the people of Florida.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2023 10:37 |
| Story ID: | 453070 |
| Location: | LIVE OAK, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 243 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Florida National Guard Soldiers and Local Firefighters Save Man’s Life After Hurricane Idalia, by CPT Grant Schrantz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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