Trending Topics

Ala. medics rush drowning victim to hospital on foot after ambulance breaks down

Decatur Morgan EMS personnel continued on foot with the 2-year-old patient after their rig broke down a quarter of a mile away from the hospital

By Bill Carey
EMS1

MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. — Decatur Morgan EMS officials confirmed that an ambulance broke down while transporting a drowning victim in Morgan County.

On July 1, a 2-year-old girl was being transported to Cullman Regional Medical Center by Decatur Morgan Hospital-EMS after she was discovered in a pool, WAFF reported.

The department reported that the ambulance broke down while on the way to the hospital. Paramedics then carried the 2-year-old on a cot, continuing CPR as they made their way on foot to the hospital.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the two-year-old drowning victim from Falkville. While transporting the child to Cullman Regional Medical Center, the transport vehicle broke down about a quarter of a mile from the hospital,” the department stated to WAFF. “Paramedics unloaded and continued on foot with the child on the cot, while continuing to perform CPR. The cause of the vehicle breakdown is not known at this time.”

The child was pronounced deceased at Cullman Regional Medical Center.

Trending
Badger EMS, a student group at UW-Madison, wants to handle lower-acuity campus calls, saying the program would expand hands-on experience while easing demand on local ambulances
An Akron paramedic was punched in the face during a call when family members objected to a patient not being taken to the hospital
Provider feedback identified identify three key education deficits: patient communication, hands-on realism and death notification skills
The Grapevine City Council approved a $325,000 first-responder squad truck and the closing of Engine 1, saying the shift matches rising EMS demand