PADI Rescue Dive Training
Helps Save Woman's Life
In 'Horrifying' Car Crash

Here's the story as told by the Hill family to PADI,
the Professional Association of Dive Instructors

On Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m. on May 22nd, 2005 our very tired family of four PADI Rescue Diver classmates was called to yet another PRACTICE rescue (Day Three, Scenario Six). This time, two drinking buddies had climbed to the top of Mushroom Rock at Himalaya Bay in Sonora, Mexico and had "fallen" -- beer bottles and all. Both were injured, the most seriously hurt buddy had a suspected neck injury, serious head trauma with serious head bleeding, a compound fracture of his right lower leg, multiple serious body cuts and abrasions, and possible internal injuries. He also had landed in a twisted position making transporting him to safety very difficult. With our Rescue Instructor Ron Prince watching, our family (Tom, the dad; Em, the mom; Addie, 15-year-old daughter; and Tiffer, 13-year-old son) worked our way through the practice scenario and managed to rescue the divers.

After several more challenging scenarios, we finished our class, packed up, and hit the road for our tired but very happy eight hour trip back to Tucson. However, just outside of Benjamin Hill, Sonora all heck broke loose. A car had launched itself from the opposite lane of the highway and had somersaulted end over end finally resting upside down in a mangled mass on the steeply sloping median. We pulled our car over to the far right hand side of the divided highway, grabbed our rescue bag and oxygen, and ran to the scene.

It was horrifying.

A very, very severely injured woman hung upside down in what was left of the car, the engine running at full throttle with smoke, dust and gasoline everywhere. We assessed the situation, noted the imminent danger of fire and explosion, discovered that local rescue personnel had been called, and decided that the victim needed to be extricated absolutely as soon as possible. Tiffer, our eldest son, ran back to get our backboard, while Tom, who speaks Spanish, instructed bystanders to move away from the car.

Tom then selected one man to find a way to turn off the engine and two other men to help him and Tiffer remove the woman from the car. Tom had one rescuer reach into the car to support the woman's neck while the other was told to support the woman's back. Tom, aided by Tiffer, then crawled into the car and, using diving shears from the EMS bag, cut the woman free from her seatbelt. Moving very slowly and very carefully, they gently pulled the woman from the car and placed her on the backboard. With the help of bystanders, our family moved the woman away from danger and got to work.

Here's the incredible part: After assessing her condition, we confirmed she had a neck injury, serious head trauma with serious head bleeding, a compound fracture of her right lower leg, multiple serious body cuts and abrasions, and possible internal injuries -- EXACTLY the same as in the morning's PADI practice scenario.

So, just as we had that morning, Addie kept watch on the area to protect the rescuers and the patient, Tiffer held the woman's head to keep it from moving, Em immediately applied direct pressure to the leg injury to stop the most profuse bleeding, and Tom calmed and reassured the woman while placing the oxygen mask on her face. After additional and ongoing assessment, the patient's neck was stabilized, the various wounds were brought under control, the foot of the backboard was elevated to prevent shock (the air temperature was 114 degrees so no blanket was used), and the woman remained conscious and reasonably calm.

When the Red Cross rescue team arrived, they transported the woman "as is" and took her to the nearest hospital. We followed to retrieve our equipment and were deeply thanked by the doctor for our efforts which she said had saved the woman's life.

In reality, Ron Prince (our instructor) and the PADI Rescue Diver Program saved her life. We just did what we had already done that day in practice and, thanks to the reality of the PADI program, it was precisely what needed to be done.

To learn more about
the PADI Rescue Diver Program, click here.