Oregon Firefighters Lift Car Off of Trapped Man

Jan. 5, 2012
The Portland firefighters made the decision after a paramedic determined the man was gravely injured.

Portland firefighters ditched the tools and used their muscles to lift a car off a man pinned underneath it Thursday morning.

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The eight firefighters made the quick decision after arriving at the scene of a crash on Martin Luther King Boulevard around 6:40 a.m. after a paramedic determined the man was gravely injured, according to KGW-TV.

The crew skipped normal safety procedures and together lifted the 3,200-pound Chrysler PT Cruiser off of Samuel Guthrie.

"We were putting a plan together and realized how many of us were there," Firefighter Mick Held told the news station. "We had two firefighters with the patient to help pull him out from beneath the car. And then eight of us lifted the car off of him. It wasn’t pretty but it worked."

Guthrie was on a bicycle when the crash occurred and was cited for unlawful lane change and improper use of a lane.

He was transported to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition.

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