A motorist crashed into a tree in an accident in Styria on Friday evening. A few seconds before the car completely burst into flames, two Styrians were able to pull the victim from the wreckage. One of the lifesavers describes the dramatic moments for “Krone”.
“You don’t even think about what could happen, you just react” – Styria Herbert T. from the Leibnitz district was on his way from his afternoon shift to his local bar on Friday evening when he came across the accident in a forest in Pirching am Grape Mountain by. A car had crashed into a tree and smoke was coming out of the hood.
“Another driver was ahead of me and had already started the rescue chain,” says the 48-year-old CNC technician. “It was clear that every second counts now, we have to get him out of there.” Shortly afterwards, flames shot out of the front of the car.
Difficult to use
“The driver was lying on the passenger seat, was clearly seriously injured, but reacted quickly,” says Herbert T. Using the Rautek rescue handle, he managed to pull the Styrian out. Luckily he wasn’t stuck. “Why was I thinking about the handle at that moment? No idea. I learned it thirty years ago in the fire service and it has clearly stuck in my memory.”
“It was really a last-minute rescue,” emphasizes fire brigade manager Patrick Pichler, commander of the FF Heiligenkreuz am Waasen. The car immediately went up in flames. Overall it was a very challenging operation for the fire brigade.
“Gasoline leaked out”
The extinguishing work was very difficult. “There was a steep embankment in the middle of the forest and the gasoline was running out.” The car had a full tank. “Despite the extinguishing foam, extinguishing the fire took almost two hours.” Normally this can be done in less than 30 minutes.
blow of fate
“I don’t know what would have happened if we had gotten there ten minutes later. I don’t even want to imagine it,” says the lifesaver. He even knows the 25-year-old victim. “I always go to my local bar on Fridays after work, and he’s there often.” The bar is only a kilometer away from the scene of the accident. Saving a life was probably fate.
The driver of the accident was taken to the LKH Graz by the Red Cross and is stable. Herbert T. would be happy if he could see the young Styrians in their local bar again soon.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
