California Firefighters Recall Crash

STACIA GLENN
San Bernardino County Sun

COLTON - They survived a harrowing plunge off a mountain highway but still exuded the courage and strength associated with firefighters.

The wheelchairs Miguel Lopez, 26, and Mark Smith, 25, were confined to at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center on Tuesday faded into the background when they spoke.

The IVs still attached to their arms were hardly noticeable.

Lopez and Smith are the only U.S. Forest Service firefighters still hospitalized after the eight-member crew's rig blasted through a guardrail on Highway 18 on Monday morning and dropped 400 feet down the steep, heavily wooded terrain.

"The emotions of going upside down over and over again, it keeps going through my mind today," Lopez said. "It's amazing that we walked out of there alive."

The firefighters were wheeled into the room by their girlfriends and mostly maintained light-hearted grins while recounting the terrifying episode.

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the cause of the accident, though they've ruled out speeding and mechanical failure.

Lopez and Smith said they do not know what happened.

They were headed to cut down hazardous trees in the 14,039-acre Butler II Fire area when they felt an impact, heard someone yell "Oh my God!" and then went into a free-fall.

Both were seat belted into the crew compartment, which the medical center's chief of surgery said probably saved their lives.

Doctors initially thought Lopez had dislocated or broken his pelvis.

After several tests, they declared he had torn the labrum in his right shoulder.

Smith dislocated his left shoulder and possibly suffered a fracture.

"It's an experience I kind of want to forget," Smith said.

The rig skidded about 100 feet, demolished the guardrail and dropped to a ledge 20 feet below the road, where the hood was ripped off.

It then slid more than 100 feet down the hillside before the crew compartment broke off from the chassis, finally coming to rest against a pine tree.

The rig then to split into two and continued to fall.

Being professionals, the firefighters immediately did a head count and asked about injuries.

Then they busted out the windows that were still intact and crawled out.

After calling 9-1-1, a crew member passed his cell phone around so others could call their loved ones and assure them they were safe.

Lopez said his brush with death has been a reminder to tell his loved ones how much he cares on a regular basis.

"You never know. You might go to work but you might not come home that night," he said.