Rescue A Life-Death Situation

On a busy Friday afternoon, a 39-year-old truck driver lay trapped inside his vehicle.

His truck had just collided with a car in front of him on the Sabeto Highway in Nadi. The impact had him trapped from waist downwards.

The truck suffered damage as a result of the accident.

For firefighters Veranava Kauyaca, Mere Tagicaki and Antonio Lewenilovo, rescuing the man was an act which would decide if he would live or die.

The passengers in the car were uninjured, but in shock.

If the rescue did not go as planned, the truck driver would lose a lot of blood, which would kill him.

The National Fire Authority in Nadi received an emergency call at 12:24pm and responded immediately.

Mr Lewenilovo said when they reached the scene the driver was still inside his truck.

“Half of his body was stuck, pushed down by the dashboard due to the impact of the accident,” he said.

It meant that the trio had to use tools to cut him out.

“We used spreaders and cutters to release the driver. He was rescued and we lifted him to the ambulance to take him to the hospital,” Mr Lewenilovo said.

“This is an important job for us. It eventually means that our actions could result in a life or death situation.”

Mr Kauyaca said he loved his job despite criticism.

“People always criticise us because they claim we are late to the scene, but for us we will always do the best we can in any situation,” he said.

The rescue on Friday meant the driver was rescued on time, preventing injuries from the pressure of the caved-in dashboard and frontage of the truck.

Police spokesperson from the West Wame Bautolu said the truck driver was treated at the Nadi Hospital and sent home.

He said investigations were underway to determine the cause of the accident.

He urged motorists to drive with caution.

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