Paramedics honored for heroic actions during tornado

Local News

September 30, 2009

John Hultgreen The Richmond Register Wed Sep 30, 2009, 07:12 AM EDT

LEXINGTON — Two paramedics from Madison County EMS were the recipients of the Kentucky Ambulance Providers Association “Above And Beyond” award last week at the 2009 Kentucky EMS Conference and Expo Recognition Banquet.

Paramedics Matt Graden and Nate Wyatt were selected by a committee for this year’s honor in recognition of their heroic actions during a tornado on May 8, 2009.

While transporting a patient from Richmond to Danville, the ambulance crew was stopped at an intersection when they noticed that the skies were growing dark. They made a decision to return to Richmond, but before they could act, a tornado descended from the sky and the crew found themselves at ground zero.

The crew notified their dispatch center that they were in the middle of a tornado. The ambulance began rocking back and forth and soon was pelted by debris from a barn that had suddenly exploded.

Within minutes, the tornado had passed. All was quiet, except for dogs whimpering. And then came the sounds of people screaming and crying.

The medical crew exited the ambulance and immediately checked an overturned vehicle and what was left of nearby houses. Someone approached the crew and reported that a mobile home had been picked up by the tornado and thrown into a nearby pond.

Without hesitating, Graden ran into the shallow pond and found a female patient face-down in the water. Nearby was a child, attempting to get out from the floating debris, crying with a little dog in his arms.

Wyatt, meanwhile, had secured a bystander to sit with the elderly patient still in the ambulance and had called for additional resources before following Graden into the pond.

But no assistance would be immediately coming. All of the surrounding roads were blocked with debris and fallen power lines. Although they could hear multiple sirens in the background, Graden and Wyatt realized that all they had was each other and the supplies that were in their ambulance.

The female patient in the pond was laying face down under large walls, struts and other debris with only her head visible above water. She had a severe avulsion of her scalp and had no feeling from her chest down. Graden immediately picked her head up slightly so she would not drown. With Wyatt’s help, the patient was secured to a backboard and was held above the water line by the crew while they waited for further help. Because of the debris and other factors, they could not safely lift her from the pond by themselves.

The young child in the pond was the son of the female patient and appeared to have a broken leg. Wyatt immobilized the boy, safely extricated him from the debris, covered him with blankets and secured a bystander who has children to stay with the boy and tell them of any changes. Wyatt then went back to the pond to help his partner.

After what seemed like hours to the crew, other paramedics, EMTs, rescue squad members, firefighters and police officers finally reached the crew and their patients and successfully removed the female from the pond. Graden and Wyatt had been in this pond for the duration, just keeping the patient calm and reassured, all alone.

After two hours of being caught up in the worst natural disaster in recent Madison County history, Graden and Wyatt finally made their way to the University of Kentucky Level I Trauma Center with the adult and child patients. They all were cold, wet, muddy and tired. Other responders continued care and transport of the other patients at the scene.

After arriving at the hospital and transferring care, Graden and Wyatt returned to their ambulance base in Madison County, showered, changed clothes and continued on with their shift as if it were just a normal day “on the street.”

Members of the Kentucky EMS community who have either performed above and beyond what is expected of those in emergency medical services, or who have made a significant contribution to EMS that is deserving of recognition, are eligible for the Above and Beyond Award and are selected by a nominating committee.

Debbie Berry contributed to this story.

John Hultgreen writes for Kentucky EMS Connection.

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