W.Va. Guard flies Mingo train victim to CAMC - News - The Charleston Gazette

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May 30, 2009

W.Va. Guard flies Mingo train victim to CAMC

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After a train struck a man in Mingo County, members of the West Virginia National Guard flew the patient in a Black Hawk helicopter to Charleston Saturday afternoon.

The helicopter was too heavy to land on the roof of CAMC General Hospital, so the patient had to be transported by an ambulance from the airport to the hospital. The Guard members picked the man up in Williamson.

According to Jeff Carter, shift commander at the Kanawha County Ambulance Authority, the National Guard members were in Mingo County to help with flood recovery. "They happened to be in the right place at the right time," Carter said.

A medic for the Guard said the man who appears to be in his 20s suffered a broken arm and head injuries.

Carter had no specific information about the accident. He also said the man was unresponsive when he arrived in Charleston.

Carter also said his ambulance crew had to leave the hospital shortly after they left the train victim because they were called to a serious motorcycle accident in the Sissonville area. Carter said that accident produced two patients in critical condition.

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5 Comments on "W.Va. Guard flies Mingo train victim to CAMC"
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Posted By: wvdustoff (12:11am 05-31-2009)

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To clarify several comments:
1. The aircraft was a Medical Evacuation Helicopter of the West Virginia National Guard supporting flood cleanup operations (MEDEVAC Standby) on site at next to the 911 Center at Mingo County Airport and was dispatched after Mingo 911 Officials determined either it was the most expedicious method or HealthNet would take too long.
2. The HH-60L that was dispatched weighed around 18,700 lbs during the operation and I believe the CAMC heliport is rated for a maximum of 10,000 lb. aircraft, thus landing on the hospital rooftop helipad WAS NOT an option. This particular aircraft without crew and fuel still exceeds the 10,000 lb. limit.
3. the Patient was unresponsive with head injuies, internal injuries, and a nearly severed arm.

Posted By: gnrsabo (10:01am 05-31-2009)

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joedoefirst, you assume the Guard didn't have the right radios. Consider the individuals on the ground had the wrong radios. BLUF, there appears to be a communications barer, if the State, as they should, is going to rely on the Guard to support civilian authorities in times of disaster every effort must be made to insure communications works. Let’s not take our eye off the ball, the men and women of the Guard are extremely dedicated and the Guard Officer who sent the helicopter without being asked was only doing what he or she has been trained to do, react based on the information available. Imagine the public outcry if the young man had died and the Guard hadn’t responded. God bless the men and women of West Virginia. They need our support now more than ever as they respond to the needs of both their State and their Nation.

Posted By: stefsanurse (8:44am 05-31-2009)

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Hey tomfool, did you notice the article said the man was unresponsive, probably as a result of the head injuries also mentioned in the article. Time is critical in the case of unresponsiveness....Pray that this guy lives, and someone can tell him about the day that someone used common sense and said, "Here's a helicopter right here, let's get this guy out of here!"....Instead of waiting on a chopper to fly out of Charleston to Williamson.

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