Firefighters from Harrison Township, OH and members of the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office were dispatched for a hang glider crash on May 6 at 5:48 p.m. The caller reported the occupant of the glider was seriously injured.
HTFD Medics 801 and 803 responded to 16067 London Road, a runway used by small planes, skydivers, and glider pilots.
Just after responding, Harrison units requested that a helicopter form MedFlight of Ohio be placed on standby. While en route, dispatchers advised the victim was semi-conscious and hand fallen approximately 100 feet.
Firefighter/Paramedic Jeremy Stiver requested MedFlight to respond to the incident.
Medics found a 32-year-old man lying in a grassy field with his crashed glider nearby. He was suffering multiple systems trauma.
He had no memory of the fall and crash. Medic 801 and 803 crews were most concerned about a possible closed head injury and chest trauma.
The victim was packaged for transport with full c-spine precautions. Two large bore IVs were established, and he was placed on oxygen and cardiac monitor. The secondary trauma exam revealed no other visible fractures. He maintained a patent airway the entire time.
Within minutes, MedFlight # 3 arrived at the scene and the victim was transported to the Ohio State University Medical Center trauma suite in Columbus, a level 1 trauma center.
The pilot was attempting to use a motorcycle and a 3000' rope to winch his aircraft to altitude. The glider was an Airweigh Mark IV type with a 32' wingspan.
According to the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office, the glider was climbing when the wing suddenly stalled and it nose-dived into the ground. The victim was wearing a helmet and other protective clothing.
