by Matt Musson
With the light coming through the crawl space we could see the girl on top of the completely reclined head rest. She was flat on her back and looking up at us. Her face was covered with blood and dirt and she was in obvious pain.
“Reach out your good arm,” ordered Charlie. “We’ll help pull you through.”
Slowly the right arm extended and Charlie squeezed in to reach it. When he got a firm grip he started backing out. The rest of us grabbed onto Charlie and pulled.
“Easy does it,” Charlie ordered, as he guided the girl’s torso through broken glass and sharp metal edges.
Slowly and carefully, she came sliding out of the car backwards. A dozen hands were helping and as she emerged from the crawl space we lifted her over the trunk. Carrying the girl over into the shade of another large oak tree, we gingerly sat her down on the ground.
For the next couple of minutes Toby and Bogdon checked over our victim. First, they called for water. Then they confiscated all the bandanas we had brought with us and used them as washcloths and for a make shift arm sling. After cleaning up some lacerations, they bandaged the girl’s left arm. There was no doubt she had a significant fracture.
“Let me sit up,” she insisted. Then, against Toby and Bogdon’s advice, she struggled to a sitting position and we finally got a good look at her.
“That’s Mandy Jo Ellsberg,” Freddie whispered in recognition. “She’s head Cheerleader at South Caldwell High and I think she’s Thor’s cousin!”
“Speak of the devil and up he jumps,” Charlie replied, pointing up the hill.
Movement caught our eye and we realized it was Thor slogging down the hillside with a couple of EMS guys following closely on his heels. Before long, EMS and Fire crews made their way down to the crash scene. They gave Mandy another thorough once over, splinted her arm and used an immobilizing sling that held the appendage close to her body.
We explained to the fire captain how we righted the car and pried up the roof. He was impressed almost to the point of disbelief. But, the bicycles, the steel cable and the jack stand were proof of our exploits. After examining remains of the sedan, the Captain decided to try and remove Mrs. Ellsberg, (Thor’s Aunt Judy) out the back window – the same way that Mandy Jo had come through. But, first they needed someone small to climb inside the wreck and attach a brace that would immobilize the victim’s neck. Of course, Freddie Dunkleberger volunteered for the job.
Fearlessly, our little friend scrambled in through the collapsed window and applied the brace. Then he gently lowered Mrs. Ellsberg’s seat into its fully reclined position and secured a rescue harness under the woman’s arms. This allowed the rescuers to be pull out of the car.
Minutes later Mrs. Ellsberg emerged she was still breathing; barely. The EMS guys said she had a collapsed lung putting pressure on the heart. So they inserted a very large needle directly into her chest to relieve the pressure. (That’s when Shad passed out.)
Mrs. Ellsberg was stabilized – but it was obvious that she needed to get to the hospital quick. And, there was no time to try and lug her back up the mountain.
“Is there a clearing around here?” asked the Fire Captain.
“Down this game trail about a hundred yards there’s a small meadow,” replied Charlie.
“Then, I’m calling in the LifeFlight Chopper.”
While the fire chief called for the helicopter on his radio and the other rescue workers secured Mrs. Ellsberg into a sled, we raced down to the meadow with our brush clearing gear. For the next twenty minutes we hacked and chopped and expanded the clearing the best we could. We did not quit until we heard that welcome thump, thump, thump of the LifeFlight helicopter.
About that time, four firemen came walking down the path, each holding on to a different corner of the rescue sled. We helped them spread out bright orange signal panels for the helicopter pilot to line up on.
After one set up pass, the pilot made an approach against a light wind that was blowing in from the East. It was a tight fit. And, it took a long time for the helicopter to lower itself into the clearing. But we realized that if the chopper slammed into a tree it would not do anybody any good.
Finally the helicopter was down and the firemen loaded Mrs. Ellsberg onboard while Thor helped his cousin Mandy onto the aircraft. Suddenly, the pilot hit the gas and we quickly stepped back out of the way. Instinctively, we ducked beneath the rotors, while covering our faces against the dust and debris kicked up by the wash.
As the helicopter lifted off, all seven Granite Falls Rangers stood besides the clearing and waved goodbye. Then suddenly… it was over.
What may have been the worst and the finest hour of our lives came to an abrupt end. And as the adrenalin began to wear off, we were hit by a wave of exhaustion. Staggering back up the trail to the crash scene, it was all we could do to flop down in the shade of the big oak. As we sat there recuperating, the EMS guys checked us all to make sure we were okay. But, aside from some cuts and scratches from broken glass and scrub brush, we were fine.
After we got checked out, the firemen helped us load our equipment on to our remaining bicycles and we sat off down a deer path to one of the hiking trails we repaired earlier that morning. Several of the rescuers accompanied us, deciding it was easier to walk out to Memorial Park than to try and climb back up the mountain.
When we got back to the parking lot, we were met by a large group of rescue vehicles. And, the firemen offered us a ride back to town on their big truck. They even lashed our bicycles onto the sides next to the ladders. Then they started up engine and headed back for Granite Falls. One by one, the firemen dropped us at our homes and our adventure came to an end.
As soon as Thor relayed the news to his family, the entire Munson family rushed to the hospital. There, after many anxious hours, with the aid of an expert trauma team and an outpouring of prayer, Mrs. Ellsberg made it through a long night where things were touch and go. But, by the next morning, the surgeons were optimistic. Her recovery might be a lengthy one, but the doctors agreed that Mrs. Ellsberg made it to the hospital just in the nick of time.
Mandy Jo’s outcome was much better. Her arm was broken in three places. But, she was fixed up with a plastic cast in the Maroon and Platinum colors of South Caldwell High. Within days she was back cheering the Spartans onto victory.
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So, things worked out fine after all. We volunteered for a service project and ended up being of much more service than we ever dreamed of. And, we did get our pictures in the paper after all. And, Grandpa Gus’ rules proved truer than we ever would have imagined. But, in all the confusion we never did make it to Wong’s Golden Dragon. So, Charlie Sinclair has promised that we are absolutely, positively going to Wong’s for lunch next Saturday; unless, of course, life decides to throw us into another dangerous adventure along the way.
About the Author
Matt Musson was born in Austin, TX and grew up in San Antonio. He earned two degrees at the University of Texas and moved east to work for Ross Perot as a Systems Analyst. He has developed systems for Planters Peanuts, LifeSavers Candies, Sara Lee, and Bank of America.
Matt is currently in North Carolina developing banking software and working part-time for the Charlotte Bobcats. He has four incredible children: Skye, McClain, Granath, and Chandler. Matt collects vintage rodeo belt buckles and Indian jewelry when he is not prospecting for Carolina gold and emeralds.
He is a contributing author to the non-fiction anthology Sports in the Carolinas: From Death Valley to Tobacco Road. He has authored several Jeep Muldoon books including The Mystery of Merlin’s Magic, The Arrow that Would Not Miss! And WhaleQuest! In addition, he produced the critically acclaimed novel Batboy on the Worst Team Ever! Publishers Weekly described the book saying there was “perhaps a Denzel Washington movie in this novel.”
his book with friends
