Chapter 2 Into the Breech
The sides of the ditch had been reinforced as well as they could. Most of the crew was at least partially covered in a slick film of mud and was panting from their efforts. Doing anything sliding in slick boggy mud made the job three times as hard. Johnny had grabbed a HT, a SCBA, a long length rope, a short length of rope, clipped a paramedic sheath to his belt with scissors, etc…, and slipped a pen light into his pocket. He'd donned a belt and turn outs.
His crew was surprised at first to see him gear up for a rescue. Normally, captains sent others to crawl, rappel or scrabble over things to get to victims. However, it wasn't long before they could see it was the only option. Of all the men of each crew, Johnny was the only one built to fit into the narrow space. He'd turned the control of the scene over to Roy and placed Eric in charge of the 110 crew. The only other man on the scene besides the two captains that didn't seem surprised Gage was going in was Chet. He'd joined station 36 as a lineman. Chet just carried on as if nothing was amiss. When he saw the others' surprise, he just shrugged and gave a small smile before continuing his duties.
Men in both crews watched in fascination as they witnessed the looks or monosyllables the two captains used to prepare. Well, except Chet. He'd seen it before. No biggie.
"So…?" Johnny asked.
Roy motioned over to a pile of 12 x 8's with his head and some large pieces of plywood. Johnny's eyes followed the motion and nodded.
Both men pictured the beam across the ditch, ends resting on large pieces of plywood, in their heads equalizing the weight so the sides had less stress. They could see Johnny straddle it, scoot out and then use it to be lowered from.
"Not sure though," Roy countered glancing the pile of supplies.
"Yeah, I know," Johnny said as he buckled the belt.
Johnny looked at the SCBA. He knew Roy was unhappy that he might not get to wear it due to the small space he was crawling into. It wasn't like he was tickled pink about it. He couldn't change what had to be done.
Roy asked Chet to grab a board from the pile while the others were still catching up. "Where exactly Cap?"
Roy pointed. "As soon as Trey and Ted place those large pieces of plywood as bases for the ends, lay it across the pit opening starting there and ending there -to distribute what little weight Captain Gage has," he stated pointing before adding the quip. Chet smiled broadly.
"Guess some people never get it," he teased as he passed Johnny. Ted and Trey hurried to place the flat plywood as instructed. Eddie stepped forward to help.
Johnny grimaced, rolled his eyes before smirking. "Kelly, Kelly," he chided, "Over compensating just makes you look so pathetic." Their eyes met and they both chuckled.
Eric smiled realizing he was peering into the past.
Gage walked over to the huddle of boys and squatted down. He gave them his charmer smile. "Fellas, tell me about when you heard the noise. What exactly did it sound like?"
Doug answered, "I don't know mister; it was just loud." Johnny nodded hiding his frustration behind a thoughtful look.
"Did it last a long time? Sound like a car engine revving?" he probed.
"No, it was pretty quick," Jamal replied. "I could feel it in my feet too." The other boys nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I did too," Michael and Doug said in turn.
"Sir, it acutally kinda cracked or snapped like that big whip the lion tamer used at the circus, but lots louder," inserted Michael.
"Good, boys that is helpful," Johnny told them encouragingly. "One more thing, did you smell anything?"
The boys' faces scrunched up in thought. One by one they shook their heads. "No, no," they echoed, "Nothing, just the mud like before."
Johnny smiled at the boys. 'Thanks fellas. That was a big help. Now stay back. We'll find Adam, okay?"
He sloshed back through the boggy mess, his turnout pants cuffs were already caked with slip and getting heavy. Roy had heard the boys' comments from his position even though he had been continuing to prepare for the rescue.
Johnny's eyes met Roy's and both men looked grim. "I heard," was Roy's only comment. The comment about the cracking sound with the smell was obvious to them both.
"I am good at the backstroke, pally," Johnny returned glibly as he strapped on his helmet and looped one end of the longer rope in the carbineer on his belt. The other end was manned by Eddie, Trey and Ted.
Cautiously lowering himself to his knees, he inched out on the board like a cat on the top of a fence. Once clearing the ground, he delicately eased down until his legs dangled on either side and then gingerly progressed out to the middle. "Kelly, you'd better have picked a splinter-less board," Johnny clowned and then seconds later he yelped. Kelly's face blanched and his head snapped up. "Just kidding, Chet," he called out with a smirk.
"Jerk," Chet muttered hiding relief. The rest of the crew snorted as did the few construction workers and patrol officers gathered around. He glanced over at Roy to confirm that he'd broken the tension. Roy just gave him a bogus exasperated glance followed by a hint of a smirk. Inside Johnny was quaking. This rescue wasn't a joking matter. Although he was glad he didn't have to send one of his or Roy's crew in, it didn't mean he was thrilled to be going himself. He was getting too old for this crap.
Roy read Johnny's jest as nerves. For Johnny nerves often equaled goofiness, maybe not as much now as it had those years before. Of course, Johnny would always be a bit goofy. It was part of his appeal, his charm. His crack had lightened the dark mood that always came along with a child rescue. If what he suspected were true, it might just be a recovery.
Deftly, Johnny tied the shorter length of rope to the board and hooked his belt onto it. He slipped on his gloves. As a young firefighter, he'd often gotten in a rush and forgotten them. Not today he thought. "Ready," he called gripping the rope with his covered hands.
The longer rope was used to stabilize his descent while Johnny lowered himself into the muck. Upon reaching the bottom he unhooked from the shorter rope with which he'd lowered himself. However the other line would be his lifeline, his umbilical back out. He double checked it being sure he was securely tethered. The SCBA was lowered down while Johnny squatted down to get a gander at the culvert he was about to enter. Now that there was some comparison between the opening and Gage, Roy furrowed his brow in dismay.
"Roy," Johnny called up, "I can't fit with the SCBA on my back. No way, but..." he was cut off by an order from Roy who had come to the same conclusion.
"Carl," Roy ordered, "Get the reel of air hose. Trey, bring the rest of the equipment that goes with it." Eric stepped up to take Trey's place on the tether line. Johnny nodded once with satisfaction that Roy was of the same mind.
While waiting, Johnny sent the SCBA back up and used his flashlight to peer into the cement duct. "It goes back about 20 feet and then curves off to the right. I don't see the boy yet," he reported.
In a few minutes Johnny had fitted the air mask securely to his face with his air supply pumped from above. Normally being tethered to the unit with an air hose was restrictive, but this way he had good air and could take it in to the victim, if he ended up needing it. It was a plus that the bulk of the tank wasn't there to prevent him from crawling into the tube.
Kneeling down, he entered the culvert. Slithering in, Johnny found the farther back he went, the more he encountered a carpet of thin, watery mud. Reaching the bend, he looked to the right seeing what he hoped he wouldn't.
"Johnny, how's it look?" Roy radioed knowing that he must have been able to make it to the bend.
"Just like we thought Roy," Johnny replied compressing the HT button between quiet grunts of effort speaking over hiss of the air mask. He couldn't quite hide the concern in his tone. In front of him, Johnny saw two small legs protruding from a large mass of sodden soil.
