ON THE 21st I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE WYOMISSING FIELD OFFICE
THAT AN ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED,
A MOBILE EQUIPMENT ACCIDENT AND A SERIOUS INJURY WAS THE RESULT.
WE WAS ASSIGNED WITH TECH SUPPORT.
THEY CAME OUT TO ADD PROFESSIONAL,
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE INVESTIGATION.
I GOT A CALL FROM MY SUPERVISOR
SAYING THAT THE BLASTING COMPANY
WAS GOING TO COME UP AND LAY OUT A SHOT UP IN THE TOP BENCH.
AND I SAYS OKEY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE IT READY FOR HIM WHEN HE ARRIVES.
SO I DROVE MY PICKUP TRUCK UP THERE AND CHECKED THE AREA OUT;
NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF OVER BURDENED ON TOP OF THE LEDGE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I NOTICED THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WAS,
YOU KNOW, PRETTY BUSY, YOU KNOW,
MAKING STONE, KEEPING THINGS GOING.
AND I DROVE DOWN-- DOWN TO THE YARD,
GRABBED A D6 HI TRACK, BROUGHT IT UP.
STARTED, YOU KNOW, SKIMMING THE TOP,
GETTING THE EXCESS MUD AND GRAVEL
OFF THE TOP OF THE LEDGE.
AND AFTER AWHILE IT KEPT ON PULLING UP BIGGER AND BIGGER ROCKS.
SO I SAID, YOU KNOW, THE D6
IS A LITTLE TOO AGGRESSIVE FOR THE JOB.
SO I'LL GO DOWN-- I'LL GRAB THE SMALL LOADER,
WHICH IS A IT14, THEN I'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, FINISH SKIM,
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S LEFT.
SO, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT WASN'T AS HEAVY A MACHINE AS THE D6.
SO I WENT-- BROUGHT THE D6 DOWN AND GRABBED THE IT14,
YOU KNOW, CHECKED EVERYTHING OUT.
WENT UP TO THE TOP AND STARTED TO,
BASICALLY PLOW THE EXCESS GRAVEL.
IT WAS MORE OF A MUDDY, WET GRAVEL.
STARTED TO PLOW IT DOWN THE INCLINE
'CAUSE THERE WAS A STEEP INCLINE BEFORE YOU WENT UP TO
THE ACTUAL BLAST AREA THAT WE WERE GOING TO LAY OUT.
IT'S A STEEP RAMP RIGHT AT THE TOP.
IT WAS A SHOT WITH BI-TECH SUPPORT
WITH A HAND ABNEY LEVEL AT 23% GRADE.
THE CONDITIONS OF THE RAMP WAS ROUGH, MUDDY AND SLICK.
SO I STARTED, YOU KNOW, GOING UP AND DOWN THE HILL WITH THE MACHINE
AND THEN I PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, TOLD MYSELF NAH,
YOU KNOW, LET ME TURN AROUND.
I'LL BACK DRAG IT ONE MORE TIME.
WELL, AS I TURNED AROUND THE MACHINE,
THERE WAS-- ON A SLIGHT INCLINE.
I WOULD SAY ABOUT MIDWAY UP THE HILL.
AND THE A-- I STARTED TO FEEL THE MACHINE START TO TIP OVER.
SO...
I HAD ABOUT FOUR SECONDS TO FIGURE OUT
"WHAT AN I GOING TO DO HERE"
AND A, I DECIDED, YOU KNOW, I SAYS
"WELL THERE'S A HUNDRED FOOT FACE OVER TO THE RIGHT OF ME.
AND A, YOU KNOW, IS THE MACHINE GOING TO ROLL DOWN OVER THAT FACE,
YOU KNOW, IF IT GETS ROLLING?"
SO I BASICALLY SAYS "WELL, I'M GOING TO JUMP OUT."
SO I UN-DID MY BUCKLE-- MY SEAT BELT
AND JUMPED OUT THE UPHILL SIDE OF THE MACHINE.
AND AS I JUMPED OUT THE MACHINE STARTED TURNING OVER SLOWLY.
AND I WAS ACTUALLY WALKING ACROSS THE STEPS
OF THE MACHINE AS IT WAS ROLLING LIKE THIS.
AND I JUMPED ONTO THE GROUND.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE STEEPNESS OF THE HILL I ACTUALLY--
THE MOMENTUM ACTUALLY MADE ME SLIDE DOWN
UNDER NEATH THE MACHINE AND OUT IN FRONT OF IT.
AND THEN AS I WAS LAYING ON THE GROUND
I SEEN THE MACHINE ROLLING TOWARDS ME.
IT ROLLED OVER ONE MORE TIME AND THE TIRES
ON THE REAR LANDED RIGHT ON MY LEGS.
AND A-- I LOOKED DOWN AT MY LEGS
AND I NOTICED THAT THEY WERE ALL--
THEY WERE MANGLED, YOU KNOW, AND MUSHED.
BUT I WAS STILL, YOU KNOW, I WAS STILL CONSCIOUS.
AND A-- YOU KNOW, ALL I COULD IS, YOU KNOW--,
THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO ME WAS THE--
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WE SAW AN MSHA VIDEO
OF THE LOADER ROLLING ON TOP OF A GUY.
AND THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY HEAD.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
AT THAT POINT THERE WAS--
THE CRUSHER OPERATOR HAD SEEN PAUL COMING OUT OF THE CAB
AND HE NOTIFIED--
THERE WAS A 9-90 CAT FRONT END LOADER RIGHT BELOW IT,
HE NOTIFIED THAT MINER ON THE END LOADER
TO GO UP AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE OR SEE WHAT HE COULD DO.
THE GUY THAT RUNS THE PRIMARY CRUSHER-- CRUSHER TOWER,
HE HAD A TWO WAY RADIO
AND HE BASICALLY RADIOED THE MAIN LOADER,
THAT'S A BIGGER 9-90 CAT LOADER, DOWN IN THE PIT.
AND HE CAME UP THE HILL.
AND I GUIDED HIM IN AND HE BASICALLY LIFTED UP--
I GOT HIM TO LIFT THE SMALLER MACHINE OFF MY LEGS.
AND I ACTUALLY PULLED MYSELF OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE MACHINE.
AND, YOU KNOW, GOT TO SAFETY.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS A WELDER CAME
AND THEY GOT THE MEDICAL KITS FROM THE WELDING SHOP,
THE BLANKET AND EVERYTHING.
AND THE CREW, THE WELDER AND I BELIEVE IT WAS A TRUCK DRIVER
TOOK THE MEDICAL KIT UP THERE.
BY THAT TIME THEY HAD A CONTRACTOR
THAT WAS CONTRACT DRILLING UP ON THE TOP BENCH,
AND HE HAD HIS MEDICAL TRAINING.
AND BETWEEN ALL OF THEM THEY WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT.
BUT AS THIS WAS ALL GOING ON, EVERYBODY WAS COMMUNICATING
WITH THE MAIN OFFICE TO GET THE AMBULANCE, YOU KNOW, COMING.
AND A--
SOME OF MY FELLOW, YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYEES
THAT CAME UP THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, "CALM DOWN, TAKE IT EASY PAUL,
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT."
HE WAS AWAKE THE WHOLE TIME.
YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE THE MAN CREDIT
TO HAVE AN END LOADER SITTIN ON BOTH LEGS,
LOOKING DOWN KNOWING THEY'RE BOTH CRUSHED,
AND BE ABLE TO TELL THE END LOADER GUY
"HEY, PICK IT UP OFF OF ME
AND I'LL CLIMB OUT FROM UNDERNEATH IT
BECAUSE THERE'S NOBODY AROUND HERE TO HELP YA."
WHEW!!!
YOU KNOW, IT SHOWS HE WANTED TO LIVE.
AS FAR AS MY-- MY RESCUE AND ALL THAT.
THAT WAS, YOU KNOW,
PICTURE PERFECT THE WAY IT WENT DOWN.
YOU KNOW, CAUSE THE GUYS WERE TRAINED; THEY KNEW WHAT TO DO.
SO IT DOES WORK.
TRAINING DOES WORK.
OTHER STATEMENTS WE OBTAINED DURING
THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION WAS FROM ONE OF HIS FRIENDS
THAT WAS THERE AT THE SCENE.
AND THE INJURED MINOR STATED THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU GET
WHEN YOU DON'T WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS.
SO THAT WAS A REAL POWERFUL STATEMENT;
THAT HE KNEW HE HAD MADE A MISTAKE AT THAT POINT.
YOUR INSTINCTS TELL YOU CERTAIN THINGS
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE
AND FILMS THAT PROVE
THAT IF YOU STAY IN YOUR MACHINE YOU'LL SURVIVE.
I SAW THE MACHINE AFTER IT ROLLED OVER.
THERE'S LIKE BARELY ANY DAMAGE TO IT AT ALL.
(John Dagner)
IS LIKE A RACE CAR CAB.
I MEAN THEY ARE DESIGNED AND PERFECTED.
THERE'S THE STRONGEST POINT ON ANY PIECE
OF MOBIL EQUIPMENT.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK BACK NOW AT PAUL'S ACCIDENT
AND HIS STATEMENT EVEN STATED THAT ONCE HE LOOKED
AT THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND SAW THE CAB
AND WHAT WE VISIONED AND WHAT WE SAW,
HE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED NO INJURIES.
THERE WAS NO INJURIES TO THE INSIDE OF THE CAB SO,
YOU KNOW, HE MADE THE FATAL MISTAKE THOUGH
OF TRYING TO REMOVE HIS SEAT BELT
AND JUMP OUT WHILE IT WAS MOVING.
CHECK THE AREA OUT THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.
USE THE PROPER MACHINERY.
AND A...
YOU KNOW, I CAN SAY USE YOUR HEAD BUT, YOU KNOW,
I USED MY HEAD AND I GOT HURT.
SO YOU WANT TO GO WITH--
YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR TIME AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING,
RIGHT OFF THE SHOT.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO RUSH INTO OR HURRY
OR DO ANY THING LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, MINORS SHOULD HELP MINORS,
PEOPLE SHOULD HELP PEOPLE.
IF YOU SEE A FRIEND OR SOMEBODY THAT'S NOT WEARING IT,
YOU SHOULD HAVE THE GUMPTION OR THE NERVE
TO LOOK UP AT SOMEBODY AND SAY "PUT YOUR SEAT BELT ON."
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO PLAY FOOTBALL WITH YOU
OR WE WANT TO GO PLAY POKER WITH YOU TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOT TO HELP,
EVERYBODY HAS GOT TO PITCH IN.
BUT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IT IN THE MINING INDUSTRY THAT
IT'S COMMON PRACTICE WHERE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES STILL
REFUSE TO EITHER WEAR'EM OR THEY THINK THE SAFEST THING TO DO IS--
THEY CAN OUT JUMP A MOVING PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
AND TIME AFTER TIME AGAIN, JUST LIKE IN THIS MINOR'S CASE,
AND HE STATED HE THOUGHT HE COULD DO IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TIME AND TIME AGAIN
THAT'S ALWAYS THE LAST STATEMENT
"WELL I WISH I'D HAVE KEPT IT ON."
WELL, I DIDN'T STAY IN, I DIDN'T KEEP MY SEAT BELT ON,
NOW, YOU KNOW, I'M MISSING MY LEGS.
IT DOES HAPPEN.
I REALLY BELIEVE PAUL'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN LIFE NOW
WILL BE HIS LIFE EXPERIENCES AND HIS THOUGHTS ON SEAT BELTS
AND I BELIEVE HE'LL BE ONE OF THE BEST SEAT BELT TEACHERS IN THE UNITED STATES
CAUSE HE'S GOT PROVEN EXPERIENCE
AND EXPOSURE TO TELL PEOPLE AND EXPLAIN WHY SEAT BELTS SHOULD BE WORN.
I'D LIKE TO TELL EVERYBODY THAT,
YOU KNOW, WE GET THE TRAINING EVERY WEEK,
YOU KNOW, EVERY TWO WEEKS.
EVERYBODY THAT'S IN MINING GETS THE TRAINING
AND WE PREACH ALL THE TIME
ABOUT THE ACCIDENTS AND WHAT CAN HAPPEN.
AND GUESS WHAT?
I'VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR 23 YEARS AND IT HAPPENED.
SO...
DON'T THINK IT CAN'T HAPPEN IF YOU'RE OUT THERE
CAUSE IT DOES.
IT DOES.