J.J. Viljoen, Fire Fighter and Divisional Chief, City of Joburg EMS, extricated driver from a crashed cement truck.
JJ Viljoen
Truck Rescue
29 May 2009. Soweto Fire Department Divisional Chief J.J Viljoen came across an early morning accident involving two heavily loaded trucks. He noticed the large cement carrier had ploughed into the back of another truck carrying sand to a road construction site. The severe impact of the crash had trapped the injured driver of the cement carrier behind the steering wheel.
J.J. immediately dispatched a Heavy Rescue vehicle to the scene.
With no time to waste, he wormed his way into the cab of the mangled truck from the passenger side to assess the injured driver. Both the man’s legs were trapped. The collision had caused the dashboard and steering wheel to collapse onto the driver’s legs. An ambulance arrived and the crew helped J.J. to administer oxygen. Other than severe pain in his legs, there seemed to be no other serious injuries to the driver.
A bakkie from a nearby scrap yard stopped at the scene and offered J.J. help. The man had an angle grinder, generator and heavy-duty hydraulic jack with him, which he gladly offered.
J.J. had to make quick decisions. Knowing full well how long it would take for the Heavy Rescue team to respond in peak morning traffic, he made preparations to extricate the patient himself. After covering the patient with a blanket, he removed the windscreen to create a bigger workspace.
Using the borrowed angle grinder, J.J. first removed the “A” post nearest to the driver. To be able to insert the hydraulic jack, he also had to remove the door. The hydraulic jack fitted well and he slowly extended the jack. It was strong enough to lift the steering wheel and dash from the patient’s legs. J.J. was then able to stabilize the patient with a c-collar and secure him onto a full spine board with head blocks and a spider harness. The patient was transported to hospital in a stable condition with no obvious fractures. The entire rescue operation took less than 15 minutes.
For taking quick, decisive action to help someone in distress, J.J. Viljoen is a deserving nominee in the Centrum Guardian Project.
