Not Such a Relaxing Day

There is rarely a dull day when you are a volunteer fireman. Every time I go on an emergency call, it is always an adrenaline-pumping experience. There is no such thing as a "good call" in this line of work since I am responding to somebody's cry for help.

Living in a rural, secluded town often means that a fireman must be proficient in many roles as an emergency responder. The most common emergency calls in my area include forest and structure fires, motor vehicle accidents and accidents in the water. We must also understand and perform instinctively life-saving and resuscitation techniques.

Last weekend was supposed to be my first relaxing weekend in several months -- and it was -- at least for the first hour or two, anyway. I was with some friends and family on our ski boat, enjoying the sun for the first time this season. My father was driving the boat, so I was naturally watching for his hand signals to stay aware of what was coming up. My father is a very safety-conscious person on a boat since it is very common for people to get seriously injured when traveling at high speeds. He will alert me to any dangers ahead or if other boats are close by since it is nearly impossible for a skier to see beyond the boat.

We were traveling at such a high speed that I was struggling to maintain control of my skis. As we were making a turn to travel back up river, my father pointed to shore and immediately straightened the boat out, which almost caused me to wreck. After I regained my balance, I looked back up at my father, who was frantically pointing to the riverbank. I looked in the direction he was pointing several times before I realized what he was gesturing toward. There were two all-terrain vehicles, both moving at extremely high speeds, directly toward each other on an overgrown trail next to the shore. I am very familiar with the trail they were riding on and knew firsthand that you cannot see around the turn that they were both approaching rapidly. My heart began to sink as the ATVs got closer to one another.

The sound of metal, plastic and bones being bent and broken is never pleasant. I physically could not see the collision between the two, but I did, unfortunately, see the aftermath.

I swam to the boat to grab the first aid kit and some ropes so I could navigate the steep incline to reach the accident. As I crested the hill, it was a site of absolute devastation! I honestly did not think any of the patients would survive this since all suffered severe trauma.