On Friday, December 13, the Humboldt Communications Center received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting a crash involving two vehicles that had overturned into Rattlesnake Creek near Spy Rock Road on US Highway 101 during heavy rain just before 5pm yesterday evening.
Todd McKay, 47, of Garberville, was driving a Toyota 4-Runner northbound on the highway when his vehicle reportedly hydroplaned. The 4-Runner veered off the roadway, overturned, and slid into the southbound lane, colliding with a Toyota Rav 4 driven by Anthony Fair, 56, of Philo. Both vehicles careened down an embankment and into Rattlesnake Creek, landing upside down and nearly submerged as the creek level rose rapidly due to the storm.
According to Tamera McCanless, Lieutenant Commander with the California Highway Patrol Garberville Substation:
“Good Samaritans Barrett Thomas and Abram Hill (an off-duty volunteer firefighter with Leggett Valley Fire and Rescue and Piercy Volunteer Fire Department) were driving separately through the area when they noticed vehicle debris in the roadway. Both pulled over and checked down the embankment.
Thomas pulled Fair and his son to safety out of the creek and noticed McKay’s vehicle downstream. Hill jumped from the creek bank onto the upside-down vehicle just as two of McKay’s children emerged from the vehicle. Hill helped the children to the creek bank as McKay emerged from the vehicle with his 4-year-old child. Hill helped McKay and his child up to the side of US 101.
Hill recognized the 4-year-old was not breathing and did not have a pulse. Hill and Thomas began CPR. Not long after starting CPR, the 4-year-old’s pulse returned, and shortly after, the 4-year-old was breathing without assistance.”
Thanks to their efforts, the child’s pulse returned, and they soon began breathing unassisted. The 4-year-old was transported to Howard Memorial Hospital and later to UC Davis Medical Center, where they are expected to make a full recovery.
All other occupants of the vehicles sustained only minor injuries.
The Garberville CHP Office expressed deep gratitude to Hill and Thomas for their quick, heroic actions that saved the child’s life.
Leggett and Piercy Firefighters: A Legacy of HeroismVolunteer firefighters from the Leggett and Piercy Fire Departments have a long history of lifesaving efforts in Northern Mendocino County and southern Humboldt Counties. They were instrumental in the 2019 search for the missing Carrico sisters and the 2020 rescue of a 3-year-old child who was found alive after five days following a suspicious crash.
Once again, these local volunteer firefighters have proven their commitment to training long hard hours results in saving lives, even in the most challenging circumstances.
To donate to Piercy Fire Department, please send a check to:
P. O. Box 206 Piercy, CA 95587
To donate to Leggett Valley Fire Department:
PO Box 190 Leggett CA, 95585
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