Dave and Cally Arts - Work Accident
Donation protected
I'll preface this by saying "I'm ok".
Yesterday I (Dave) was on site for a customer and attempting to get my service truck up his very steep, icy driveway. I was about a quarter of the way up and realized I wasn't going to make it up and needed to chain up. My customer comes down the hill in his pickup in reverse, seeming to have plenty of traction, and says he'll tow me up. Worth a shot, I said, and got out my rigging to hook up the trucks. His truck above me was parked in 4wd with parking brake engaged and holding. I knelt down to hook up the trucks, heard a noise above me and saw his truck sliding downhill toward me.
When they say it 'happens so fast', that's no joke.
In about 1.5 seconds I got off the ground and squared up my body with the rear bumper of an F150, which drove me back into the front bumper of my truck and I was pinned.
10 agonizing seconds. At first I felt the blood rush to my head, and I watch it spill on the ground but didn't know where from, I felt my hips, pelvis, and lower abdomen crush under the increasing weight of the pickup. At that point i was convinced it was over... dead... i prayed out loud or in my head (not sure which) that my family would be taken care of and know that i love them.
As the truck engine started and all four wheels tore through the snow and ice to find traction on the gravel driveway, i fell forward on my face. From somewhere i heard "get up! Get out of the way!" So I scrambled out of the way of the trucks with the muscles that worked, layed in the snow bank and screamed and bled... and prayed. My customer called EMS who were timely, professional, and awesome. I don't remember much about the ambulance ride, and most of my time in the ER is a blur. But they did some quick scans of my arm (this was the source of the bleeding), no break. Then an MRI of my mid-section, no breaks.... so I caught a 6000lb f150 with my left forearm and my waist, and broke zero bones... that one goes to the guardian angel. There's a few new believers in the hospital.
I was discharged in less than 24 hours with bruising throughout my abdomen, hips, groin, and buttocks. A deep laceration in my left forearm limiting use of my hand. But... I'll heal!
I came home to my family with a new perspective and overflowing love.
Thank you to those of you that have reached out already!
Your support means a lot to us!
Yesterday I (Dave) was on site for a customer and attempting to get my service truck up his very steep, icy driveway. I was about a quarter of the way up and realized I wasn't going to make it up and needed to chain up. My customer comes down the hill in his pickup in reverse, seeming to have plenty of traction, and says he'll tow me up. Worth a shot, I said, and got out my rigging to hook up the trucks. His truck above me was parked in 4wd with parking brake engaged and holding. I knelt down to hook up the trucks, heard a noise above me and saw his truck sliding downhill toward me.
When they say it 'happens so fast', that's no joke.
In about 1.5 seconds I got off the ground and squared up my body with the rear bumper of an F150, which drove me back into the front bumper of my truck and I was pinned.
10 agonizing seconds. At first I felt the blood rush to my head, and I watch it spill on the ground but didn't know where from, I felt my hips, pelvis, and lower abdomen crush under the increasing weight of the pickup. At that point i was convinced it was over... dead... i prayed out loud or in my head (not sure which) that my family would be taken care of and know that i love them.
As the truck engine started and all four wheels tore through the snow and ice to find traction on the gravel driveway, i fell forward on my face. From somewhere i heard "get up! Get out of the way!" So I scrambled out of the way of the trucks with the muscles that worked, layed in the snow bank and screamed and bled... and prayed. My customer called EMS who were timely, professional, and awesome. I don't remember much about the ambulance ride, and most of my time in the ER is a blur. But they did some quick scans of my arm (this was the source of the bleeding), no break. Then an MRI of my mid-section, no breaks.... so I caught a 6000lb f150 with my left forearm and my waist, and broke zero bones... that one goes to the guardian angel. There's a few new believers in the hospital.
I was discharged in less than 24 hours with bruising throughout my abdomen, hips, groin, and buttocks. A deep laceration in my left forearm limiting use of my hand. But... I'll heal!
I came home to my family with a new perspective and overflowing love.
Thank you to those of you that have reached out already!
Your support means a lot to us!
Organizer and beneficiary
Brad Arts
Organizer
Anchorage, AK
David Arts
Beneficiary
