GARMISCH, Germany - Members of U.S. Army Garrison Garmisch assisted in the Nov. 13 medical evacuation of a seriously injured German child.
The 12-year-old boy and other children were sliding off the roof of a building that was level with heavy snowfall on one side, but dangerously high on the other, when he slipped and fell, suffering serious head and neck injuries.
Garmisch medical authorities wanted to transport the boy to the Unfallklinik in Murnau, a specialized traumatic injury hospital where patients are brought from throughout Germany. A rescue helicopter, "Christoph 1," was provided from Munich by ADAC, the Automobile Club of Germany, but first they needed a landing zone. The former tennis court at the Abrams Complex, a nearby housing area for employees of the Armed Forces Recreation Center and Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, proved to be a suitable "LZ."
Garrison military police and safety manager Andreas Tuerk rushed to Abrams, speeding the local emergency services' access to post. Tuerk's counterparts in the Freiwillige Feuerwehr (Volunteer Fire Department) Garmisch used their fire truck's floodlights to illuminate the impromptu landing pad.
"Everyone worked together to save this child," said Tuerk. "We got clearance for Garmisch emergency personnel to enter Abrams and it went very smoothly. We were happy to assist."
The child is expected to recover, Tuerk added.
"We were there to help," said Capt. VickyLynn Peters, Garmisch provost marshal. "Spc. Jonathan Watson handled all of the actions for gate entry and ensuring the safety of the installation while we had so many emergency personnel and vehicles moving around our area."
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