A Parkland Ambulance vehicle rolled en route to a call for a single-vehicle rollover Tuesday morning.
The ambulance crew was about one kilometre away from their call, near Holbein on Highway 3, when they went off the road themselves, said Lyle Karasiuk, director of public affairs.
The road conditions were slushy with icy or slippery sections and reduced visibility Tuesday morning.
The two paramedics managed to get themselves out of the vehicle and continue with the call.
“They not only made sure they were OK, but managed to flag down a bystander who took them the remaining distance to the incident they were responding to, so they could render some care,” Karasiuk said.
“Their commitment to care is outstanding, and from an agency perspective, we applaud them.”
The pair took care of the injured person in the initial rollover, even though shaken up themselves, until another ambulance was able to respond and take everyone back to Victoria Hospital, Karasiuk said.
Everyone involved in the incidents is doing fine, he said.
The ambulance was pulled out of the ditch and brought to Prince Albert by a local towing company. Holbein is about 33 kilometres west of Prince Albert.
The cost of the damage is currently unknown.
“Until SGI has a chance to look at this vehicle and give us an assessment, we’re not certain as to what we need to do,” Karasiuk said.
Ambulances are constructed to they can withstand significant vehicle rollovers, up to 2 1/2 times their own weight.
“There are a lot of safety features that are built in to ambulances, that are designed to protect the patient and protect the crew as well,” Karasiuk said.
Having one vehicle out of commission doesn’t affect the operations of the ambulance service.
“We’re concerned for our staff and concerned for their well-being and certainly making sure they’re looked after today. In terms of day-to-day operations, not a problem. We have sufficient vehicles in our fleet and access to our manufacturer’s network to replace vehicles in a timely fashion,” Karasiuk said.
ahill@paherald.sk.ca
