A Miracle on the Mountain
It's a miracle. Kyle Mason, Shawn Kirkley, David Morris and Frank Unruh. Four guys who probably should have died on Friday, according to the laws of nature. But all four are still with us.
Kyle, Shawn, David (Jr.) & Frank were all part of the crew of nearly 40 men from College Church who drove up to the area around Shaver Lake to camp for the weekend. This is an annual event that has become legendary for a relaxing weekend with great "man-food." Some of the men look forward to this even more than their family vacation. I had been invited to go but have had too much on plate this summer.
Some of the men enjoy all kinds of unsupervised fun on the weekend. One highly anticipated part is taking their off-road vehicles on some seriously off-road terrain. Not everyone participates, but many enjoy this rugged part of the adventure.
To summarize, two vehicles were headed up a steep incline, part of which led at an angle up a rock. The second vehicle was an open-cab Toyota piloted by Kyle. Shawn was in the front seat with him. Frank and David were buckled into the back seat.
The first truck made it up okay, but Kyle's started tilting right and began to tumble. It flipped sideways 4 times, knocking the crash bars off center. The vehicle rolled down the rock and strangely stopped midway down, coming to rest on its side.
Shawn fell out & crouched down as the vehicle flipped over him, leaving him shaken but all right. Something crashed into the side of Frank's head and shoulder, perhaps the 60-lb jack that came loose in the wreck. David's fingernail was torn off but was otherwise fine.
Kyle wasn't as lucky. He tried to escape the turning vehicle but was thrown around and finally ejected face down onto the rock as the truck came to a rest on its side on top of him. He was pinned lifelessly by the Toyota's weight. Fortunately for him, his body was in a slight crevice, so the full weight of the truck wasn't supported by his body alone.
The guys stood stunned for a few seconds before the adrenaline went to work. They managed to life the truck enough so that one of them could pull Kyle out. Without stopping to consider if he should be moved. They carried him to a level spot and then sent for help.
The rangers called in a life flight from Fresno that whisked him away to the trauma unit at Community Regional Hospital. Amazingly, Kyle seems to be okay. His body has suffered severe trauma. His kidneys, lungs, liver & spleen were all injured by the force of the truck. He has several broken ribs on each side and suffered a concussion. His recovery has been and will be painful, but we believe that he may escape without any long-term effects.
Frank was taken by ambulance to another hospital, and he was released yesterday. His injuries include a concussion with a slight bleeder in his head, a broken hand and banged-up shoulder. Amazingly, he had been off a medication for 3 days that might have exacerbated his bleeding & caused serious damage to his brain. He spent his three days in the hospital witnessing to all the nurses and medical personnel!
We don't know why some tragedies seem to have a happy ending and why others do not. But we do trust in a God who is with us & who can use us to His glory in any and every circumstance. Praise be to the Lord as we pray for everyone's speedy recovery!
Kyle, Shawn, David (Jr.) & Frank were all part of the crew of nearly 40 men from College Church who drove up to the area around Shaver Lake to camp for the weekend. This is an annual event that has become legendary for a relaxing weekend with great "man-food." Some of the men look forward to this even more than their family vacation. I had been invited to go but have had too much on plate this summer.
Some of the men enjoy all kinds of unsupervised fun on the weekend. One highly anticipated part is taking their off-road vehicles on some seriously off-road terrain. Not everyone participates, but many enjoy this rugged part of the adventure.
To summarize, two vehicles were headed up a steep incline, part of which led at an angle up a rock. The second vehicle was an open-cab Toyota piloted by Kyle. Shawn was in the front seat with him. Frank and David were buckled into the back seat.
The first truck made it up okay, but Kyle's started tilting right and began to tumble. It flipped sideways 4 times, knocking the crash bars off center. The vehicle rolled down the rock and strangely stopped midway down, coming to rest on its side.
Shawn fell out & crouched down as the vehicle flipped over him, leaving him shaken but all right. Something crashed into the side of Frank's head and shoulder, perhaps the 60-lb jack that came loose in the wreck. David's fingernail was torn off but was otherwise fine.
Kyle wasn't as lucky. He tried to escape the turning vehicle but was thrown around and finally ejected face down onto the rock as the truck came to a rest on its side on top of him. He was pinned lifelessly by the Toyota's weight. Fortunately for him, his body was in a slight crevice, so the full weight of the truck wasn't supported by his body alone.
The guys stood stunned for a few seconds before the adrenaline went to work. They managed to life the truck enough so that one of them could pull Kyle out. Without stopping to consider if he should be moved. They carried him to a level spot and then sent for help.
The rangers called in a life flight from Fresno that whisked him away to the trauma unit at Community Regional Hospital. Amazingly, Kyle seems to be okay. His body has suffered severe trauma. His kidneys, lungs, liver & spleen were all injured by the force of the truck. He has several broken ribs on each side and suffered a concussion. His recovery has been and will be painful, but we believe that he may escape without any long-term effects.
Frank was taken by ambulance to another hospital, and he was released yesterday. His injuries include a concussion with a slight bleeder in his head, a broken hand and banged-up shoulder. Amazingly, he had been off a medication for 3 days that might have exacerbated his bleeding & caused serious damage to his brain. He spent his three days in the hospital witnessing to all the nurses and medical personnel!
We don't know why some tragedies seem to have a happy ending and why others do not. But we do trust in a God who is with us & who can use us to His glory in any and every circumstance. Praise be to the Lord as we pray for everyone's speedy recovery!
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