5:00pm 14 Year Old Drowns During Swimming Party

Viewed: 7918

Posted by: JRTyson
[email protected]
Date: May 21 2023 5:48 PM

Columbia - Just after 4:30 this afternoon Houston County Communications dispatched Columbia Rescue and Houston County Deputies to a 14 year old male who had drown and CPR was in progress on Bill Yance Rd. 

As Columbia Rescue was getting enroute HC Comm Center notified them that the patient had been placed in a White Ebenezer Church Van and being rushed to the Southeast Health in the van. 

Houston County Communication dispatchers were trying to direct Columbia Rescue, Houston County Deputies, Webb Police and members of the church van all at the same time how to meet. 

At this point the van with the patient was entering Webb city limits and Columbia Rescue was leaving Columbia. 

Columbia Rescue asked for an ambulance be dispatched from Dothan to intercept the patient due to them being behind them. Houston County Deputies were able to intercept the van and patient in Webb at Alabama Power building.

Dothan Fire Department had been dispatched to intercept if possible.

Upon deputies making contact the patient was now breathing and alert. The on scene deputy down graded additional law enforcement officers. Columbia Rescue arrived on scene to make patient contact.

Once Columbia Rescue had loaded the patient and was enroute to the hospital they cancelled Dothan Fire and continued to transport emergency. 

Great job to everyone who had a hand in working with this teenager and doing CPR. Because of your quick actions this young person was breathing when rescuers arrived. 

I would like to add one side note and this is not to take away from the actions that were taken today in anyway but in hopes to help future situations. From over 20 years of experience in this field it is much easier if the patient remains on scene and we are able to come to one location. I know time slows down during an emergency and feels like it takes forever to get an emergency vehicle on scene. But in todays case if you could have listened to the radio traffic of the dispatchers trying to reroute everyone from rescue to deputies and make sure that everyone meet at the same place was heart wrenching. But these dispatchers did an outstanding job. If I may say please let them come to you. Minutes that are needed could have been lost trying to chase down a vehicle

Again, I am not taking away from the heroic actions today and the great job of saving this teenagers life. I hope this will help in the next emergency when those 5 minutes could make a difference     

<- back