07/July/2012 – MVC w/entrapment & Air Evacuation 

Incident # 12-03919 – Colleton County responded to a mutual aid request from Hampton County, to a single car MVC on I-95 at the 38 mile marker southbound, Wednesday evening 18-July at 19:11. The small Chevrolet car, left the highway at a high rate of speed and went down an embankment near the # 38 overpass. The vehicle flipped over several times, before coming to rest backwards, laying on the passenger side in a ditch. The roof was crushed flat, preventing any access to the occupants. Several units from Hampton County Fire-Rescue, the Town of Yemassee Fire Department and two ambulances from Hampton County EMS responded. Two medical helicopters from Air Methods/LifeNet also responded, with the crew from LifeNet 4 being brought to the scene. Colleton Firefighter-Paramedics carried Holmatro Rescue Tools a substantial distance through heavy underbrush from the highway to access the car. Crewmembers used two hydraulic cutters to remove the car’s roof. Both occupants had been wearing seatbelts. 

Once the roof was removed Paramedics and LifeNet’s flight crew began treating the patients. Both were immobilized on spine boards, then secured in stokes baskets for the short trip back up to the highway. Both patients were transported to a field behind the Yemassee Town Hall to meet with Air Methods LifeNet 4 and the Air Methods Lifestar helicopter from Springfield Georgia. The patients were flown to the Trauma Center at Memorial Health in Savannah Georgia. The Town of Yemassee Police are investigating the accident.

Rescue 1, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Rescue Sector Command. Several Hampton County Fire-Rescue units handled the Landing Zone, while the Town of Yemassee Fire Units worked the accident scene. Hampton County EMS responded with two ambulances.