Tag Archives: emergency room

I have received a few comments and numerous emails about why I have not been posting as often on the site. A lot of people seem to read my own mindless drivel.

Well, contrary to popular belief, I actually do have a life. I was at work last Thursday when my ex-wife called me and told me that my oldest daughter was in the hospital.

It seems that she was hiking at a place call Chantry Flats above Arcadia CA. when she fell 25 feet from a cliff into the river and broke both her legs.

I sat and worried for about 20 seconds, thinking that my ex had talked to her and she was alert and conscious even though she had landed in the water.

I told my boss that I was out of there and headed to the hospital where she had been choppered into by Los Angeles County Fire.

There she was, in the emergency room, higher than hell on morphine.

She told me an amazing story that I felt compelled to share here.

She fell while taking pictures because Chantry Flats is really pretty, especially in the spring.

She hit hard in just a couple of feet of water, however this waterfall is really popular with the kids for cliff diving.

Once in the water the waterfall began to suck her under water where she could not get her backpack off.

A man who is a councilor in a half way house for drug addicts named Carl was up there with one of his charges that had recently been released from prison.

The ex-con named David, jumped in and saved my daughter’s life by removing the backpack and getting her out of the water.

Once out of the water, David and my daughters friend Vicky began to run out of the canyon to get help. It was clear that her legs were fractured as her right foot was turned 90 degrees.

On their way out they ran into a utility crew who was working on power lines in the canyon. These guys radioed for help while Carl rendered first aid.

She was so far into the canyon that the only way to get to her was by helicopter.

The helicopter was too large to land so they hoisted her up by cable and got her out of there and to the hospital where she required several hours of surgery to correct.

I have since spoken with Carl about what happened that day.

He said that they were only there in the first place because David had recently been released from prison for drug charges, and one of the ways that Carl keeps these guys off drugs is to do fun stuff with them that they did as kids.

David used to jump from the falls and swim in the river.

Carl said he had an overwhelming feeling that God put them there to save my daughter.

Needless to say she is home now and wheelchair bound for about six months.

Thanks to all of you that seemed concerned for a foolish, angry man that writes on a stupid website, and thank you Carl and David for being in the right place at the right time. JD