Well, ya never know when you're going to have to break glass windows in a sinking car. I always carry one.
Posted on 01/03/2012 6:38:31 PM PST by marktwain
People often criticize the media for what they perceive to be an obsession with bad news; That sort of “if it bleeds it leads” credo that keeps many viewers away from their 6′oclock’s because “it’s just going to make me angry.” We’ve all heard it. So here’s a piece of good and uplifting news for you:
This past Saturday while we were all getting fabulous for our New Years Eve shenanigans, former police officer Chris Willden came upon an accident along the U.S. 89 in Logan Canyon, Utah where a Honda Accord had slid off the road and plummeted into an icy river turned upside-down – with three kids inside.
Heroes don’t hesitate, and Willden didn’t miss a beat when he realized that there were kids trapped inside the car. He pulled his gun, leaped into the water, pressed up against the windows, and shot them out. He reached inside and cut one child free from a seat-belt with a pocket knife. He was aided by his own father.
Rescue workers then arrived, and along with several Good Samaritans that happened upon the scene, turned over the car to free the other two children. Though they were at the time lifeless, river-side resuscitation was successful, and Willden heard the clapping as he bandaged his own bleeding arms nearby.
So how does a man get into the proper frame of mind for such a heroic feat? According to Willden, he told himself, “You’re going to see some dead kids, get ready”. Prepared though he was, he was thankfully wrong as all four occupants of the vehicle survived the ordeal.
The driver was Roger Andersen, 46, of Logan, and two of the trapped children were his own: Mia, 9, and Baylor, 4. The other child, 9-year-old Kenya Wildman, is a family friend. They were all on their way to Beaver Mountain for a day of skiing when Andersen lost control of the car on the slippery highway.
Both Mia and Baylor were flown to Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, spending the night in intensive care. They were taken out of IC Sunday, and were listed as being in fair condition, merely recovering from hypothermia. Roger Andersen and Kenya Wildman were uninjured.
Oh, and our hero’s last words before riding into the sunset?
“It’s in our family to go out and help others.”
What a guy.
What do you think of Willden’s heroic tale?
I stole that picture to poke a little fun at my brother. I threatened to mod a chainsaw for his new .223.
/johnny
Well, ya never know when you're going to have to break glass windows in a sinking car. I always carry one.
I don't leave home without it, or without my seat belt cutter (looks like an oversize letter opener.)
I've fired a weapon in an enclosed space. It hurts.
And then, still there's that problem with downrange. So a $6 investment in something you can leave in the console is great, in my book.
/johnny
How is it that I watched this story on Fox News and NO MENTION was ever made of his shooting out the windows?
Fox has a nasty note coming from me.
Please feel free to join in!
I carry my old Estwing geology pick in the car. It can go thru just about anything from a perp’s hand to metal and what’s in-between.
SO far geology picks are still legal but if the Obama fascists see this email, they will probably try to outlaw them.
When geologists no longer are allowed to have geology picks, then only criminals will have them, and (amateurs - ahhhh!).
To #18: I want to see this guy’s holster.
I live in a sorta interesting spot, according to a book from 1918 that I found for free on Google.
/johnny
Are you sure this wasn't on the network news?
It was covered by almost every media source on the internet.
#23:: Oh, I saw a “chain gun”.
I never saw a saw like the saw I saw in Arkansas.
Maybe I was not doing the google search at optimum. I searched virgin river rescue utah 2012, and came up with nothing on the first page. I did virgin river rescue Utah 2012 gun and came up with a story in a San Luis Obispo paper from AP, and the story in the Daily Mail from the UK on the first google page that came up.
Perhaps it got more coverage than I thought.
This is a combination hammer and seat belt cutter. 10 bucks.
I'll get in touch with the owner after the bar-b-que.
I have one of these on my batman utility belt. It is a pretty impressive cutter.
Found this on NBC.
Quick thinking by the officer. We have two canyon highways leading out of our town and this kind of accident happens every so often. Off the road and into the river is scary.
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