A man stuck down a two-metre deep concrete pit with critical injuries in Mernda has been rescued this afternoon (23 September), thanks to cross-agency team work.
CFA crews worked alongside MFB, ambulance paramedics and police to hoist the man in his 40s up on a spinal board.
He was working on a new housing development in the area.
While it’s uncertain how long the man had been in the pit before someone discovered him, crews were called about 12.20pm and took 50 minutes to rescue him.
District 14 Acting Operations Officer Brian Scown said all crews worked exceptionally well together to assess the situation and quickly implement adaptions to original plans.
“We had called for specialised equipment to assist with the rescue, however while it was on its way, paramedics determined that we needed to get the patient out and on the way to a hospital quickly,” Mr Scown said.
“We had equipment that could be used so we put ‘plan B’ into action. We sent a spinal board down into the pit and used a sling to secure the patient onto the board before using some old fashioned muscle power to bring him up to the surface.
“CFA firefighters had firstly assessed the concrete pit as being structurally sound, then performed some atmospheric monitoring to ensure there was nothing nasty down and there was enough oxygen.
“Firefighters helped paramedics by performing an initial assessment of the man while in the pit, then paramedics also went down to stabilise the patient.
“It was a brilliant demonstration of strong team work across agencies and quick thinking to change plans based on the changing situation.”
CFA trucks from Mernda, South Morang and Wollert attended, alongside a rescue vehicle from Epping.
Author: CFA Media