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@Cowlitz2Fire
Kelso, WA - Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue responds to a rollover crash off I-5 north of Kelso that required a short closure of I-5 and multiple fire agencies to rescue 4 victims.
At 0242 am on June 19th Cowlitz County Dispatchers received a 911 call for a traffic accident at mile marker 42 Southbound I-5. A standard response of 1 Ambulance, 1 Fire Engine, and 1 Battalion Chief was dispatched immediately. Dispatchers quickly learned that the caller who was a victim of the accident reported that the car was upside down in the trees and one of the occupants was missing and possibly thrown from the vehicle.
The responding Battalion Chief upgraded the call and dispatched a Ladder Truck and additional Ambulance from Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue. A Lifeflight helicopter was also placed on standby in Kelso.
The accident was initially not found at mile marker 42, but a responding Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Deputy located faint vehicle tracks that left I-5 near MM 43. The deputy climbed down a steep embankment through heavy brush and trees finding a passenger car rolled over 60’ off the roadway and down a slope 40’ with tall brush surrounding the vehicle. The deputy guided Fire Companies to the location and it was discovered that there were 4 occupants with significant traumatic injuries.
An additional ladder truck from Longview Fire Department, as well as an Ambulance and Rescue unit from Fire District 6 in Castle Rock, was dispatched to the scene.
A Lifeflight helicopter was dispatched and landed on I-5 Southbound requiring an approximately 25-minute closure of the southbound lanes.
Due to tall brush, down trees, and very steep ground, a decision was made to use a ladder truck aerial ladder with a rope off the end to carry a stokes basket to remove 3 of the victims from the accident site. The accident victims were stabilized and packaged near the crashed vehicle then one at a time placed in a rescue basket to be lifted and swung up to I-5 for awaiting ground Ambulances and Helicopters. Due to the severity of the injuries, a 2nd Lifeflight helicopter was dispatched by the Battalion Chief and that request was filled from the Astoria unit. In total 4 patients were transported, two by ground ambulance to St Johns Medical Center in Longview and two by Lifeflight helicopter to Peace Health Southwest in Vancouver.
At the time of this writing all patients are expected to survive their injuries but have varying levels of traumatic injuries and spinal fractures.