MedNews #04-39
October 8, 2004
Article MN043905

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Teamwork Saves Three People Trapped in Truck

By: Senior Chief Journalist (SW) Doug Hummel, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove Public Affairs Office

HORSHAM, Penn. – Members from three different military units worked together with township rescue workers to save three people trapped in the bed of a submerged pickup truck near Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove Sept. 28.

The floodwaters were attributed to Hurricane Jeanne, which deposited several inches of standing rainwater on many Pennsylvania area roads, including Keith Valley Road which runs along the fence line of the base where the stranded motorists were found.

According to base and local officials, the unit members first tried to rescue the three people via ropes, but soon realized the situation was too dangerous.

“The water conditions were just too rough to risk getting them out of the truck that way,” said Assistant Fire Chief Tony G. Gilliam, who commanded the rescue operation. “So we called the Horsham Fire Company on the radio and told them what we were facing. They responded by launching their boat, which was standing by in case we needed them, to our location to retrieve the people in the truck.”

Once the boat arrived on scene, one-by-one, the people in the pick-up truck were put into the boat and then driven through a gate in the back part of the base where they were transferred into the cab of a dump truck. Then they put on a safety harness and walked with one of the firefighters along a rope through the floodwaters to safety, where they were met by personnel from the base’s security department and the Willow Grove Naval Health Clinic who gave them blankets and medical attention.

“It was like something I’ve seen on TV, but I never thought I’d see it for myself,” said Hospital Corpsman Lisa Tran, the ambulance driver from the Willow Grove Naval Health Clinic who witnessed the rescue while standing by to provide medical attention if needed. “I felt really useful. It was a good night for me because I earned some valuable experience.”

“This was a great rescue because so many different units were involved in it, and we needed them all to pull this off,” said Gilliam. “There’s no telling what might have happened to those people trapped in the bed of their pickup if one of the groups were unable to respond. They are all heroes.”