Injured worker airlifted for treatment

January 25, 2009 by pamliconews

The East Care helicopter touched on a road down near Custom Steel Boats Saturday afternoon.

Co-workers described the accident as a fluke. The injured man was alert when the copter departed at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Photos compliments of Ben Casey, Special to The Pamlico News

Saturday rescue required pinpoint landing

A dramatic medical evacuation went off flawlessly Saturday afternoon when an East Care helicopter landed on a remote stretch of Alligator Loop Road in Merritt to transport an injured man to Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville.

The worker at Custom Steel Boats suffered a variety of injuries when he fell through a hatch into the engine compartment of a boat that is under construction.

Colleagues at the plant immediately summoned the Pamlico County Rescue Squad. Medical first responders from a number of area volunteer fire departments were also on the scene.
Typically, in evacuations of this sort, the injured person is airlifted from an open field near the Moose Lodge on Hwy. 55 in Grantsboro.

In this instance, however, medical officials were reluctant to move the victim. That decision required East Care’s three-man crew to divert for landing on a portion of the road unencumbered by overhead trees and power lines.

Emergency crews blocked traffic for just over 10 minutes while the copter, with blades whirling, touched down.

Co-workers at the plant -- known throughout the world for high-quality boat construction -- described the accident as a fluke. An open hatch of an unfinished boat was masked to prepare the deck and other areas for painting. But, the worker apparently mistook the surface for solid footing.

Witnesses said the worker lost consciousness after the fall of some eight feet. He was awake and coherent when the helicopter arrived. Hospital officials refused to release information as to the extent of his injuries.

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