LBPOST.com: Submerged Woman Rescued After Driving Off Long Beach Bridge

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Submerged Woman Rescued After Driving Off Long Beach Bridge

by Ryan ZumMallen | Long Beach News | 03.11.10 |

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Update 1:00pm | Photos courtesy Long Beach Fire Department blog.

10:00am | A woman in her early 20's remains in critical condition after she was pulled from her car when it drove off the Shoemaker Bridge - connecting the 710 Freeway to downtown Long Beach - and plunged 20-30 feet into the Los Angeles River, according to reports from the Long Beach Fire Department. Officials are working to determine the cause of the crash and that lane of the bridge will be closed until the investigation is completed.

The woman's SUV crashed through the guardrail around 7:30am this morning and sunk about 15 feet below the water when dive teams reached her. Fire Department spokesperson Jackawa Jackson said that she may have been submerged for up to 45 minutes before she was reached, but was pulled from the car in critical condition. "In situations like this, there is a much better chance of survival if the water is cold, and today that water is very cold," said Jackson.

The low water temperature helped the victim, according to Jackson, because her bodily functions slowed down and kept her alive until rescuers arrived. The extent of her injuries are currently unknown.

Firefighters initially believed the woman was with two other people but are now saying that she was alone. Dive teams have thoroughly searched the submerged vehicle and downstream areas for additional victims, but strong currents and heavy silt are making for difficult searching conditions.

The woman has been transported to St. Mary's Medical Center.

More to come...

Comments

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34 Comments so far.

WOW
I drove by that this morning to downtown and was wondering what that was? great job LBPOST!

pr
TEXTING while driving???

DSE
Or putting on makeup??

Extra Careful
For the past 28 years driving that bridge going home, there were so many instances that other drivers very close to hitting me when merging into the 710 freeway. If you are not careful and paying attention to the movement of other cars, you will get into an accident. My friend had an accident in that area where she was hit by a careless driver or should I say an idiot driver who either on the phone chatting or texting...

Cindi
I once heard a saying that some people wouldn't save a drowning man until they knew if he jumped in or fell in... why would you automatically assume upon a stranger that it must have been their fault that they are dying. The fact remains they are dying... have some compassion.

Stupid People
pr and DSC, not only are you cowards for not signing your names, but you ae completely stupid. Morons. Someone is in 'cold water' critical condition, and you spout off, showing everyone your very low IQ levels. Your mama is SO proud of you...

SSS
Would love it if the Fire Dept would give pointers on how to survive if you become submerged under water in your car. Why is it a better chance of survival if the water is cold?

DSE
Dear "stupid people," the initials are my own I note you did not include your name. The only thing stupid is some broad texting or putting her makeup on or chatting on her cell phone while driving.

Colleen Brola
Great article thanks for keeping us abreast. FYI: it's redundant to say "8:00 a.m. in the morning." By including the a.m. you've already indicated that it's morning. Just a pet peeve of mine ;) Cheers! Oh and I hope the gal is okay....

Ryan ZumMallen, Editor
Colleen, great point. I only meant to be clear that the incident was today. Thanks everyone for commenting!

Mike
Wow DSE you have issues. Do you really think women are the only bad drivers out there? If so then you don't spend much time on our streets and freeways. Besides it's a bit early to be assessing blame.

peggy
May God be with her at this time and familt

Drumachn
I guess Im still confused on how an individual can survive 45 mins. underwater. Was she conscious enough to hangout in an air bubble? I thought the cold water would cause tiny spaces between two metal parts to shrink a bit. Lookin' too much into it...sorry folks.

RoxC
STOP it all with your stupid comments. This girl if one of my good friends. I am glad to know that she will be fine.

anon2
I hate to repeat what others write but Wow, pr and DSE really are idiots for making dumb-a** comments when they don't even have the facts. My pet peeve? Ignorant people. Keep them away from me when I'm driving. They sound like Road-Ragers...

luvdispinay
No wonder the traffic this morning on North side are heavy! I'm hoping she'll be alright and could survive from this incident. My prayers go out to her family. Thanks to LBPost and the Fire Dept for saving her out from the cold waters.

SS
As a former City of LB lifeguard, when a car goes into the water, the engine will sink first and leave an air pocket in the back of the car, if the windows remain up that pocket of air could save your life. climb to the back of the car, remain calm, do not open windows and stay where you can breath.

Chris
Hey Drumachn, I was doing a little research after reading this article and came across this wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drowning where it explains what this rescuer may have meant when saying that there is a better chance of survival in colder water. The article states the human body's reaction to submersion: Body's reaction to submersion Submerging the face in water colder than about 21 °C (70 °F) triggers the mammalian diving reflex, found in all mammals, and especially in marine mammals such as whales and seals. This reflex protects the body by putting it into energy saving mode to maximize the time it can stay under water. The strength of this reflex is greater in colder water and has three principal effects: * Bradycardia, a slowing of the heart rate of up to 50% in humans. * Peripheral vasoconstriction, the restriction of the blood flow to the extremities to increase the blood and oxygen supply to the vital organs, especially the brain. * Blood Shift, the shifting of blood to the thoracic cavity, the region of the chest between the diaphragm and the neck, to avoid the collapse of the lungs under higher pressure during deeper dives. The reflex action is automatic and allows both a conscious and an unconscious person to survive longer without oxygen under water than in a comparable situation on dry land. The exact mechanism for this effect has been debated and may be a result of brain cooling similar to the protective effects seen in patients treated with deep hypothermia.[4][5]

SSS
@lifeguard Thanks for the tip. I will definitely keep that in mind if I ever find myself in water which I hope I don't. I drove by that area at lunch and did not see any evidence of braking before the railing. And the curb is very high. I'm sure the investigation will show the combination of her youth, inexperience with driving and driving an SUV made for a bad mix that resulted in the accident. I'm glad she's going to live. She should know she is very lucky. Most people who crash into water don't make it.

Under the Influence
Everyone but Chis is this blog must be under the influence of rubber necking, which is just as dangerous. This requires no comment. Just compassion for the family, applause to the fire fighters/ marine rescue and Life Guards who risked their own lives. Life happens and we should let this serve as a reminder of the things we are blessed with and be in gratitude for all of it....even the reminders.

yvonne
this 23 year old girl has two young children, who she had just dropped off at child care, when she was on her way to school. i dont think she was being irresponsible (texting or putting on make-up). she was doing something with her life and going to a college class

Mary MC
It is likely that this person, had a seizure and therefore lost control of her vehicle, thus causing the crash. During a seizure you are unconscious and therefore unable to control any part of your body. When she hit the metal railings and probable one more time when the car hit the water and stop suddenly she received whip lash and a concussion. She probably will need extensive hospitalization & therapy if she makes it. Likely, the brain will have suffered irreversible damage. I hope she was not awake through this event. I would not of wanted her to suffer. May God comfort her and her family at this time.

rescue team
wow I must the applaud the hard work the rescue team provided to this girl, incredible work. I will keep her in my prayers.

BUGGA BOO BOO
Well it could very well be, RoxC, she fell asleep at the wheel, didn't take time for coffee, what ever, but when you find out - let us know and I will pray for her speedy recovery!

Caring Grandma
GOD bless this girl and her family during this difficult time. Bravo to the rescuers who got to her so quickly considering the circumstances. Just curious- what make of SUV was it? From the looks of it, it held up pretty well for such a hard crash. To those of you who have left mean spirited comments or observations, remember- this could happen to someone you love someday, so show some compassion please.

Paul
How many cars have to go over before a cable, or other strong device is put up to prevent that? Will it take a family of kids drowned, to get any action? I have complained about this dangerous situation before, with no results. Notice how many times a year that they are repairing the fence that is all that keeps people from drowning in their car. Many have been very lucky, like the guy in the new Mercedes, that went over with the top down. Summertime too. City are you listening? Next may be much worse with a huge lawsuit for allowing a dangerous situation to exist for so long. While we are at it, the homeless camps that are under the bridges in the middle of Shoreline are a danger to motorist and the pedestrians who have to cross fast traffic to get there. Shannon, do you ever do anything to prevent a large lawsuit that is so obvious?

Road Construction
The most likely cause, at that time of the morning with the heavy amount of traffic entering the 710, is that with the constrictions caused by the narrowing of the roadway due to re-construction of the bridge's support pillers and the off again on again closing of the off-ramp to the Port at the top of the bridge, someone in another vehicle probably wouldn't let her merge and she was forced off the road.

marykayk
DO NOT follow an air pocket. In today's vehicles, this is not an option, and you will drown. You must climb out a window immediately. My grandson did not know how to escape and now he is dead. The Indiana State Police (ISP) Underwater Search and Recovery Team 5 has developed a survival program to educate the public in vehicle immersion escape. This program includes a real-time video demonstrating the most effective method of escape. The method they recommend and demonstrate has been researched and approved by experts throughout the world. Often referred to by the acronym POGO (Pop seatbelt, Open window, Get Out), the most effective escape technique is simple to understand and remember. Immediate exit through a window is crucial. The video is available on the Internet at: http://www.igot2know.com/action/viewvideo/234/Two_Minutes_to_Survival. Additional information is available on my web site at: http://sites.google.com/site/getoutaliveorg/. Stay safe.

LBresident
FYI, those divers that saved that women are Career Lifeguards that work for the city, not firefighters (I didn't know that). And I heard that the diver that pulled the victim out of the car is the single female on the dive team... You go girl! My heart goes out to the family of the victim, and great job LB Lifeguards.

Philcat
It's very clear, all you have to do is DRIVE and follow the path in real time. That's why blind persons don't drive, because the road might turn, including forced lane obstruction, a person standing in path, a child, your child. Wake the FK UP. You can rant all you like to your feelings, but if you never learn why it happens to mostly women, it's because of the cell records on file the moment she had her eyes off the road. This is not rocket science, it's simply the same as dog running at the stairs full throttle & never raises it's head.

Brenda Pineda
This beautiful lady is my best friend, her name is Lizette and I couldn't believe that the accident everyone was talking about at my job would be her. I thank you all for your prayers, we need all your prayers so she can come out of this one. She is still in critical condition and doctors are not giving a good chance, seems like her brain has been semerely damaged but she is a very strong lady and I have all my faith in God that she will come back to us the same way as she was: happy, hardworker, always full of energy, and always smiling and jocking. Liz please come back, I need you! your family needs you! You have to help me with all my wedding plans! You need to be there for my wedding! I want to thank with all my heart the rescuers who saved her and may God bless you.

MuffinLB
It's been almost a week. Does anyone know how this young lady is doing? I haven't read any updates.

Local
Special Thanks to Long Beach Fire Dept. and Los Angeles County Special Operations Rescue Task Force 103 without them none of this would be possible.

lara
NO DUDE this is my cuzin that fell in the water i was in that car not only a few weeks ago!!!! dude thats scary and no! my mom sees her in he hopsital. her names lizzet and shes very close to me. what had happend was that two car bumped her in the river, she didnt do anyting. her moms names adela and know lizeet is doing great! i love her and miss her. and she can hear open her eyes but she cant talk and when her mom talkes to her she cryes. And i think God had done this for a reasone to let her live cuz she has a daughter name jacaline only 4 and she needs her.

Long Beach News

LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.

Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.

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