Firefighter Sprayed With Hydraulic Fluid While Rescuing Accident Victim

A 10-year veteran of the Ventura Fire Department suffered minor injuries Wednesday when he was sprayed in the eyes with hydraulic fluid while rescuing a man trapped inside an overturned car, authorities said.

Firefighter Ron Ramirez, 39, was taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center after the 4:50 a.m. incident. He was treated and released and is expected to return to work today, authorities said.

Ramirez was one of 10 city and county firefighters using hydraulic rescue equipment to remove Victor Manuel Gomez, 33, from an overturned car at the intersection of California 118 and Rose Avenue south of Saticoy, said Officer Dave Cockrill of the California Highway Patrol.

Gomez’s AMC Concord clipped the front fender of a tractor-trailer driven by Herminio Martinez Perez. Perez had been turning onto California 118 from a nearby farm when the collision occurred, Cockrill said.

Gomez’s car rolled several times before coming to rest in the intersection, Cockrill said. As firefighters used boards to stabilize the car, Ramirez was splashed when a hydraulic line on the extrication tool snapped.

“It’s a rarity that the lines fail,” said Joe Luna, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman.

Gomez also was treated and released from the county hospital, Cockrill said. His car was destroyed. Perez was uninjured and his vehicle was not damaged. Both drivers were apparently on their way to work. No one was cited, Cockrill said.

Luna said it was unclear whether the extrication tool was owned by the city or the county, and officials were investigating the malfunction. Luna said such equipment is checked and tested regularly.