Rescue Was Amazing Sight

While returning from my nightly walk a few weeks ago I witnessed an amazing sight.

I had just left my friend’s home at the dead end of Strohm Avenue, North Hollywood, the back entrance of the Toluca Lake Elementary School, where it is pitch dark. I was surprised to see several large vehicles, white and red lights flashing, moving quickly down the street in my direction.

Firetrucks, accompanied by police cars, stopped right beside me! A fireman jumped off the truck, swung open the locked gates of the school, presumably after applying bolt cutters, and then he rushed onto the playground. Powerful hand-held lights immediately swept the darkened blacktop while a large hook-and-ladder truck shot its strong white lights into the sky.

Most mystifying!

Almost immediately, I heard the sound of an approaching helicopter. It circled once, shooting its “headlight” around the playground and then began to descend to a landing guided by a fireman using long, lighted red sticks as guides. As the helicopter closed in on the ground, the fireman disappeared in a swirl of dust and debris. Most astounding was to see the helicopter pilot land, in the dark, on an unfamiliar pad, maneuvering around a chain-link fence, trees and tetherball posts!

An ambulance siren, heard in the distance, became louder as it rushed south on Strohm, circling onto the playground. Figures jumped from the ambulance into the darkness and rushed a wheeled cart and its occupant across to the waiting helicopter, sliding the cart with folded wheels through the open door. The helicopter immediately took off, again in a swirl of dust and noise.

The whole operation took place so quickly, I could hardly believe it had actually happened. The entire rescue was efficiently conducted, entirely through radio contact, in the pitch dark, by talented people dedicated to saving lives.

For a change, let’s give a round of applause to the good guys, the unseen faces of the fire and police departments, paramedics, a helicopter crew and all those involved in the speedy, smoothly run rescue of a seriously injured car crash victim.

BEVERLEE NELSON

North Hollywood