A woman in Demorest was seriously injured when a chicken house she and a man were demolishing collapsed on top of her.
At 12:16 p.m. Tuesday, Habersham County E-911 dispatched first responders to the scene at 1049 Jim Thomas Road. Habersham County Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters from the county, Clarkesville, Demorest, and Lee Arrendale responded within minutes. They found the structure partially collapsed and the woman trapped beneath the debris.
Due to the severity and nature of her injuries, Habersham County Emergency Services requested a medical helicopter to transport her to the hospital.
“While the subject was being extricated, units established a landing zone at Fairfield Baptist Church,” says HCES Capt. Matt Ruark.
It took rescuers approximately 20 minutes to free the woman. At 12:55 p.m., AirLife 2 arrived and paramedics flew her to the trauma unit at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. The injured woman was in serious but stable condition when she was transported, says Ruark. He credits the teamwork among fire, EMS, and law enforcement personnel for freeing her quickly.
“Without the working relationships that have been built between these agencies, the outcome could have been much different. No matter which department we serve, everyone is always ready to lend a hand to meet the needs of the citizens and visitors of the county and its municipalities in their time of need.”
A firefighter on scene agreed, saying, “That’s the definition of great teamwork, this could’ve been crazy, but it’s because we were all working together it went so well.”
