Sullivan County is located 100 miles northwest of New York City and has a year-round population of approximately 70,000. The population can quickly swell two or three times that number in the summer with people ranging from owners of second homes from the New York City metropolitan area to Florida snowbirds.
New York State Troopers based in Liberty were the first to arrive and found about 50 passengers who self-evacuated a charter bus that had just left their camp less than two miles away. The bus was partially submerged in the Middle Mongaup Creek and some of the teenagers were standing in approximately three feet of very cold water. A primary search of the overturned bus for trapped passengers proved negative.
Shortly thereafter, the Liberty Fire Department arrived with one rescue, one engine and 43 firefighters who completed a secondary search inside the bus and under the bus. Rescuers were relieved to find no trapped victims. Efforts quickly turned to removing the ambulatory patients from the stream bed up a 25-foot embankment. Two ladders were set up, one on each side of the stream, and firefighters moved the patients to a triage area. Some firefighters used their turnout coats to cover sharp pieces of metal while others gave their coats to the cold teenagers. Patients who were not complaining of injuries were separated from patients with an assortment of lacerations, bumps, bruises and broken bones. EMTs conducted a preliminary triage of non-ambulatory patients still in the stream bed. Immobilization of those patients was completed and patients were removed via stokes baskets.
Meanwhile, EMS quickly determined more resources would be needed to transport the injured to local hospitals. A staging area for ambulances was established and a loop created for each ambulance to stop, load a patient and continue to the hospital without the need to turn around. Ambulances from 11 agencies, including Hatzolah and Kiryas Joel (over 40 miles away), transported 49 passengers and the driver to five hospitals. Two patients with severe injuries were later transferred to a trauma center.
After firefighters completed the removal of the patients from the stream bed, several firefighters were assigned to drive the ambulances to the hospitals. This allowed additional EMS personnel to treat patients. Another bus was dispatched to the scene to transport the passengers not complaining of any pain to the hospital to be evaluated as a precaution.
During the entire emergency scene operation, the perimeter was secured by Troopers from the New York State Police (NYSP), who were assisted by the Liberty Police Department and Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. An investigation into the cause of the accident was immediately commenced by Troopers. The NYSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to conduct interviews of the passengers, the bus driver and witnesses of the accident. The NYSP Collision Reconstruction Unit and the NYSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit assisted. The NYSP Aviation Unit had a helicopter on standby for a medical evacuation, but it was not required. The helicopter was later used for aerial photography as part of the criminal investigation.
The investigation revealed that the bus was traveling down a steep downgrade to a T intersection. The bus failed to come to a stop and traveled across the intersection, striking a guide rail and traveling across an elevated waterman. Witnesses described the bus coming to a stop on top of the water main, then tipping over into the stream bed 25 feet below. The driver was issued a traffic ticket for traveling at a speed not reasonable and prudent.
The general consensus of emergency responders is that if the bus did not travel along the water main, it would have smashed head-on into the stream bed embankment, which would have no doubt resulted in numerous fatalities. Additionally, most believe that it was beneficial that the occupants were resilient teenagers instead of, for example, senior citizens.
A little luck and a lot of teamwork averted a disaster this weekend morning. Forty-eight of the 50 patients were treated and released. Two patients remained in the hospital overnight and were released the following day. This incident could have easily resulted in many more serious injuries and fatalities. One fire department, 11 EMS agencies and three law enforcement agencies worked together harmoniously with a common goal.
Rick Sauer, MPA, is a deputy coordinator of the Sullivan County, NY, Bureau of Fire and a captain in the Liberty Fire Department. He is also a sergeant with the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
