|
In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors.
|
Motorist starts blaze to hasten rescue after plunging off SoCal
road
Friday August 22, 2003
By NADA EL SAWY
Associated Press Writer
LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (AP) It's not something that
firefighters advocate, but a stranded motorist who started a
two-acre brush fire may have saved his own life.
Jong Choi, who had been stranded in a canyon since his vehicle
plunged 500 feet over the side of a mountain highway Monday, lit
the blaze Thursday morning to get attention, authorities said.
``I don't want to encourage people to start fires, but if you're
trapped for four days you gotta do what you gotta do,'' said
firefighter Jeff Ziegler, 39, who helped rescue the 45-year-old
Choi.
The victim was dehydrated after being flown to Huntington
Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, spokeswoman Connie Matthews said. He
was listed in fair condition.
``He wants us to tell everybody that he's OK,'' Matthews said.
The two-acre blaze in Angeles National Forest was reported
Thursday morning and Los Angeles County firefighters sent to battle
it discovered the man standing outside his van, Ziegler said.
``He was in some pain and a little emotionally upset,'' Ziegler
said. ``He had some facial injuries and swelling that made
communication a little more difficult for him. He was mostly just
relieved to know that he would be going home.''
The man was tired, hungry and barely able to talk when he was
found, Ziegler said.
The firefighter said he yelled out, asking if anyone was in the
canyon, but heard no response and didn't know there was a victim by
the vehicle until he came face to face with the man.
When firefighters approached the man, Choi put his hands on his
face and started crying, Ziegler said.
``He was so relieved that there was someone there,'' he said.
The van was lying on its side in brush far below Angeles Crest
Highway, which rises quickly from the Los Angeles suburb of La
Canada Flintridge into the San Gabriel Mountains.
The victim was strapped into a stretcher and hoisted by a
helicopter out of the canyon.
The brush fire was doused within an hour.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
|