Headlines News
Ottawa firefighters perform rare extrication after collision

Ottawa first responders were called to a scene shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday to extricate one person from a sedan.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they cut the roof off the vehicle to access the patient and quickly assessed that the trapped person was wrapped around a cement pole at the hip.

“Due to the extreme complexity of the situation, backup of a second heavy rescue team was requested, as more personnel and tools were needed to perform the extrication,” Public Information Officer Jennifer McNeely wrote in a press release.

“Our specialty teams usually cut away the vehicle from an individual to gain access. However due to circumstances, firefighters stabilized the vehicle, and a rare call was made to tow the vehicle 18 inches away from the cement pole.”

After gaining a better visual, crews determined that the person’s arm was also trapped. Using smaller cutting tools, firefighters cut away the metal from the arm, while ensuring the safety of the patient.

Luckily, the person was successfully extricated from the vehicle at 6:25 p.m. and was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.