ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell firefighters are being celebrated after coordinating a complex rescue of a Home Depot employee.
The City of Roswell Fire Department was called to the home improvement store Tuesday after an employee was reportedly suffering a traumatic injury.
Crews rushed to the store along Holcomb Bridge Road and learned a woman was impaled by a 5-foot-long pry bar through her abdomen and was wedged between a forklift and a cardboard compactor, according to the department.
A paramedic at the scene called for a ladder truck and specialized equipment for the technical rescue operation, RFD said in a news release. Firefighters then started their efforts to carefully extricate the patient while providing medical care.
RFD detailed the use of a cut saw to separate the patient from the compactor and the pry bar. Once freed, she was taken to Wellstar North Fulton Hospital where a surgical team waited to assist her. She is stable following surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the medical team.
“Personnel on scene executed a well-coordinated plan to perform this difficult extrication. Firefighters and paramedics worked side-by-side to ensure a positive outcome," Roswell Fire Captain Danny Thompson said. "A special thanks to all of the first responders who assisted in this successful rescue including American Medical Response EMS and Roswell Police.”
Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the incident.
