Cut a guy out of a car accident with my 0777

I have to commend you for helping out! Not a lot of people will act right away. However, for future reference, I would say that it is better to wait for EMS to show up and collar the patient unless there is immediate danger. Every time we show up to a car accident (even if its not as bad as the one you encountered), we immobilize the patients neck and place collar on them to ensure that any possible neck injury isn't worsened. In the case of an overturned car, its even MORE crucial to immobilize because you will need to move the patient more to extricate them. Now, by no means am I saying you shouldn't help if you encounter another accident but approaching the person in distress and calming them may be the best thing you can do if its a bad accident. In this case though, two thumbs up...you did better than most people would've!
 
It's funny how many of you mentioned that a lot of people wouldn't try to help. When we pulled up... there was a person in the yard in front of the nearby house... just staring. When we were first pulling up we thought that was the driver of the car until we realized there was someone still in the car. Apparently it was just someone who decided to come outside after hearing the accident... and stare at the man laying on the horn and screaming for help and not call for an ambulance or do anything. He was literally just standing by his porch watching. Absolutely blew our minds that he didn't even have a phone in hand. He kind of just looked angry that this was going on in front of his house.

muphasta said:
Very cool! Congrats on keeping your cool!

What part of the country are you in? What casino?
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I'm in PA, the casino was the Sands in bethlehem... not exactly AC or LV.


zzyzzogeton said:
I have to admit that sometimes we cut belts that probably didin't NEED to be cut simply because it was faster and easier than trying to untangle the patient from the shoulder strap.
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Funny you mention that... when he said he was stuck it really never even occurred to me to try and actually get the belt off... my mind immediately went to cut it. When he said he was trapped in the seatbelt, the knife guy in me was thinking "you've been waiting your whole life for this moment" Cutting it seemed easier than finding the buckle anyway, it's strangely confusing inside an upside down car.

bobjam said:
Probably best to wait for emergency services if you come up on a car accident and people aren't in apparent life-threatening danger. Neck injuries are common and it would probably have been best to have his neck braced before being let down.
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I agree with that, but the picture doesn't show well the state of the pole he had hit. It was completely shattered, I really think it was only being held up by the wires. It seemed to be pulling them very tight and leaning over hard. I just wanted to get him out of there in case it came down and the power lines fell into the road. My girlfriends grandfather recently nearly lost his life to fallen powerlines and suffered extreme burns over most of his body, so I've seen what they can do. That may have influenced my judgement, but in the moment I felt the powerlines were an immediate danger to him. He was also struggling quite hard to get himself out anyway, it seemed like he could possibly do more harm to himself with the ways he was panicking and trying to get free.

Cereal_killer said:
Did he thank you? Did you wait for The ER's to arrive?
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Strangely he didn't thank me, he was pretty all over the place with his thought process, I don't believe he even got my name. He talked to my girlfriend a lot and got her name, she really had to calm him down, he was very upset and sad about the car, he had just bought it, it was the second one he crashed recently and I think he was realizing that there would be police and they'd know he was drunk, so he had a lot going on. We waited for the ambulance and police, wasn't sure if I needed to make any kind of statement. Then we told him good luck as they were putting him in the ambulance and made for home.
 
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Great job buddy. It's nice to know there are still human beings out there that are willing to give someone else a hand when in need.
 
Leave it to the haters :yawn:

Fanglekai said:
You don't need a limited edition super expensive knife to cut a seatbelt. You can do the same thing with a $10 Opinel, Enlan, SRM, Victorinox SAK, Case Peanut or any number of knives. As long as it's halfway sharp it'll cut a seatbelt.
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Great job man, most wouldn't have even bothered. Glad we still have people who care (and are prepared).
 
Congratulations for getting the guy out. Luckily he had no spine or neck injuries, his state of drunkedness being so relaxed probably saved him from more serious injuries. For the express reason you mention we carry a combination glass breaker, seal belt cutter in the center console of each vehicle we own. I would probably be terrified to be stuck like he was, my worst fear would be leaking fuel which could burn me alive. Thank you for being a good citizen and helping him. I hope law enforcement met him at the hospital and ordered a blood draw.
 
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Commendable job sir! Helps to hear stories like this to reinforce the reasons we carry knives on our person, or in our vehicles.
 
Fanglekai said:
You don't need a limited edition super expensive knife to cut a seatbelt. You can do the same thing with a $10 Opinel, Enlan, SRM, Victorinox SAK, Case Peanut or any number of knives. As long as it's halfway sharp it'll cut a seatbelt.
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A fancy knife does it with class though. :thumbup:
 
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