In a remarkable display of precision and speed, FDNY firefighters successfully extricated a 15-year-old boy in Queens, after a section of a wrought iron fence impaled his leg. The incident, which occurred yesterday afternoon, prompted an intricate rescue operation on Himrod Street in Ridgewood, where the boy was walking home from school, as reported by ABC7NY.
The firefighters, led by FDNY Lt. Mark Martinez, approached the rescue with surgical-like dexterity, cutting the vertical and horizontal bars of the fence to transport the impaled section and the teenager as one unit to minimize further injury; the deft movement of the crew reflects their recent practice with band saws, which they operated with finesse, as the lieutenant explained in a statement obtained by ABC7NY, "We cut the vertical bars going up. Three of them," he said. "Then we cut the horizontal top piece to keep everything in one piece so this way, you can transport it all together so you're not injuring the person more."
According to the ABC7NY reporting, the teen was involved in seemingly innocent roughhousing with friends after leaving Grover Cleveland High school when an accidental shove resulted in him falling backwards onto the fence. The New York Post provided further details from Firefighter Jason Shoemaker, who used various bandsaws to cut through the metal, stating, "We started with this smaller one," said firefighter Jason Shoemaker.
Shoemaker also noted in the New York Post interview how important it was to keep the boy stable while removing the surrounding fence, "We don’t want to cause any more harm to the victim so we leave him as stable as he can and then we cut around him." Remarkably, the entire extraction process took only about 10 minutes, after which the boy was transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, where he is currently under the care of medical professionals.
Reflecting on the broader scope of their duties, FDNY Assistant Chief John Sarrocco pointed out the often-overlooked aspects of the firefighter's role, telling ABC7NY, "We don't just put out fires. This is an example of what we do every day," emphasizing their capacity for life-saving interventions beyond fighting fires. The young individual's calm demeanor was noted to be of significant help during the tense situation, aiding the firefighters in their meticulous operation to save his life.
