PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An employee at City Fleet Services Maintenance Shop was “impaled” in the stomach Friday afternoon by a long wrecking bar that “went completely through the body,” Portland Fire & Rescue said.
Officials say the employee was rushed to the trauma center across the street and that their status is unknown.
“The on-scene crews provided medical interventions that included pain medication and stabilizing the bar to prevent and undesired movement. Transport to the hospital was done by walking the gurney on the roadway protected by emergency vehicles as the bar was too long to allow the gurney to be placed in the back of the transporting ambulance,” PF&R said in a press release. “Members of PF&R were providing technical assistance in the ER (and) inside the operating room while the trauma team medical professionals were addressing the injury. This assistance focused on techniques to allow for medical interventions to occur with the long pole interfering with traditional operating room use. Additionally, multiple plans were established to cut the length of the pole if directed by the surgical staff.”
Emotional support was provided by Trauma Intervention Program NW for the co-workers who were affected by the incident. PF&R also said that their mental health coordinator talking with crews that responded to the incident.
