Pelican Rescue

By Melody Martin

This is the story of a young woman who works with the police. She is cross-trained as a paramedic. It tells her story and the exciting times working in Ft Myers Florida. There is a romantic background and human interest content.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melody Martin
• Release date: Nov 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215489437

Melody Martin

I spent 3 years in the Navy. Today I spend My time writing or Painting. I am a very Independent woman Living in Kansas. This is just another stop in my journey through life. I was born in New York in 1941. So, I was alive when they bombed Pearl Harb I grew up on a small farm In Ulster County. The war years were tough but I never went hungry

Book preview

Chapter One

It is a beautiful Monday morning. I am trying to catch up on the paperwork that seems to be collected over the weekend. I am Sargent Sara Martin, one of five in my division. We are Helicopter flight Rescue Team or HFRS. I am also a police officer with the Naples Florida police department. I am cross-trained in Paramedicine and have a flight certificate. I worked hard to get these certifications with over six years of education. There are two more in this division but they are part-time and are PRS as needed. I am over this division and it keeps me busy. If I am not out on a rescue, I am managing paperwork, managing schedules, and making sure the helicopter is in top condition. I love my job although it is somewhat risky. I get regular pay while doing office work and flight pay when I do a rescue mission.

Harold is our full-time pilot and is fun to be around always joking. He reminds me of Hawkeye Pierce of the show MASH. He is never serious unless it counts. We have an on-call pilot also. Most of our calls are for auto accidents. We land near or sometimes on a major highway and transport the injured to the hospital. Physicians Regional is the normal hospital we go to. It has a helipad near its entrance.

It was nearly noon I had plans to go to Subway to grab a sandwich when the alert on my phone went off. Report to helipad we have an accident on 41. I grabbed my gear and headed to the helipad. Harold had the Helo at full take-off speed already I jumped in and attached my safety harness. I put on my headset and Harold was saying; it looks like a bad one a car drove under a tractor-trailer rig.

We were in the air nearly instantly headed south toward Highway 41. When we got overhead the police had traffic stopped so we could land on the highway. We set down about seventy-five feet below the accident. I grabbed my gear and leaped to the ground. The car was embedded under the trailer, fire crews were trying to get the passenger out of the car. They had to use the jaws of life to force the door frame to get to her. I could see the driver was dead my hope where the woman would be okay.

When they got her out of the car and on a gurney, I could see her leg was broken. It is a compound fracture and bleeding badly. I put a compression bandage over it to stop the bleeding. I noticed her right arm was also broken. We started to carry her to the Helo when I heard a baby crying. I called one of the firemen over and they found a baby in a car seat. He seemed uninjured and they would take him to the hospital by ambulance. It is safer that way.

We were back in the air the hospital was only five minutes away by air. We set down at the helipad nurses and others were waiting and transferred the woman to the hospital. Our job is done now but I could not stop thinking about the baby, and his mother. I would call my friend at the hospital later to get an update on their condition.

I went back to my office to fill out the necessary paperwork. Harold filled me in on the fuel consumption and total flight hours. It is all part of the job of the supervising sergeant.

I picked up the phone and called Dan, my friend at the hospital to find out the condition of the woman and the baby. He answered; Hi doll face, what do you want this time? Hopefully me. Then he laughed. He is a nice guy just not my type. I asked about the woman and child.

They are doing okay; the woman has a compound fracture of her tibia and they put pins in that. Her arm is fractured they set it and put her in an air cast. The baby is uninjured and will be fine. His mom asked about him and was relieved he was fine. She did not take the news about her husband very well. She is sedated and when she becomes coherent, they will bring her baby into her. They think that will help her.

Dan said he had another call but before hanging up he asked when we were going to have dinner together. He is always trying to get me to go out with him. That’s not going to happen. I am single but my life is full of studies and work. At another time I might have gone with him. Just not now. 

The rest of the day was just boring I finished all the Paperwork. Harold stopped in to inquire about the condition of the woman and baby we transported. I told him they would be okay. He knows I have contacts inside the hospital. It is five o’clock time to go home to my little apartment on Jasmine circle. It is not much but it is comfortable. I will pick up the sun sandwich I planned on eating for lunch. I got involved in paperwork and forgot to eat.

Chapter Two

My alarm is going off, it is six in the morning. I get up and head for the shower. There is nothing like a hot steamy shower to start the day off right. After drying off I get into my uniform and grab a bagel with cream cheese spread. I do not usually eat much in the morning. On my way out the door, I grab a coffee in my to-go cup. The sun is already coming up as I get into my car and start toward the station.

As I pull into the parking lot, I can hear the Helo blades churning up. It is going to be a long day. I swing into a parking space and run toward the Helo. Harold is waiting for me as I get in. Put on your life vest, we are headed out over the water. I hate days like this, I usually end up getting wet. We are headed out over the gulf.

It is not long before I spot a small sailboat with two people in the water only one has a life vest on. Harold hovers over the small craft and I lower the life ring. The man with the life preserver is hollering. It is hard to hear what he is saying over the Hilo’s engines. He signals that the woman has broken her arm. She has his life vest with her good arm. With her broken arm, there is no way to get the life ring over her without help. Even though they buckle in the back.

I look at Herold and explain what the problem is. He shook his head in a way that meant oh no, not again I took off my headset and climbed onto the landing rail. I tugged the life preservers straps tight and launched myself into the water. Swimming over to the woman I assured her all would be good. I managed to get a harness around her and signaled Harold to pull us up. Once I got her into the Helo. I put an air cast around her broken arm.

I lowered the life ring back down and the man got into it. We pulled him up to the Helo. The woman was crying, where is my dog? I looked and saw the dog about 100 feet from our Helo. I motioned to Harold; we have one more to pick up. I pointed to the dog in the water. It was not a large dog I figured I could pick it up in my arms. Harold moved over the dog and I was lowered back to the water. I was told the dog's name was Ginger. I called to it and it swam to me. It looked happy to see me. I swept it up in my arms and motioned to Harold to pull me up.  Once we were onboard Harold headed toward the hospital. I radioed the hospital and explained the injuries and situation and our approximate ETA.

On the hospital landing pad, we set down. Emergency crews were waiting and they loaded the woman on a gurney and headed into the ER. I was still dripping wet and I went into the side door where emergency crews waited. They got the woman in the ER then we headed back to the station. It is a good thing I keep a change of clothes here or the rest of my day would be miserable.

I showered and changed and went to my desk. Harold was waiting for me with paperwork to fill out and file. He said; the third bath today? I gave him an evil grin. He knows I hate getting wet first thing in the morning. He did have a nice hot cup of coffee waiting for me. Just a hint of cream and no sugar. He left and headed back to the Helo. After each flight, they refuel and do a safety check on equipment. I sat and filled out all the necessary paperwork.

Chapter Three

My radio beeps, Sara, are you ready to get back in the air? We have a hostage situation. We are requested to assist. I answered; I will be right out I hope I don’t need my swim fins this time.

We were in the air, headed toward the gulf. My thought is oh no not more water. The house was near the water. I gave a sigh of relief. We were over at the house in minutes. There was a shed with two men next to it. One had a handgun and the other appeared to have some sort of a gun. Sargent Lukas asked if we could get closer to assess the risks. The man with the gun was holding it to a woman’s head. The other man looked up at us, raised the weapon, and fired. Harold yelled and we peeled off to the south. I looked at him, do you know what he is using? Hell, no he replied I just saw him trying to shoot us. Well, he is using a crossbow. I heard the bolt hit us. I called out on the radio. Lucas, Helo 3, I see one woman, hostage, there are two men one with a semi-auto handgun and the second using a crossbow. He tried to shoot us down. I let out a chuckle. Helo 3, a crossbow will kill you as quickly as a gun. I doubt it will do much to a helicopter.

I watched as the police scurried around. One got a ladder and started climbing on a neighbor’s roof. One got the people out of that house. I could see the officer getting on the roof with a sniper rifle. They were calling to the man to give up. We moved off a distance so they could hear the man. They kept shouting, back off or I will shoot her. The man pointed the gun at Helo and Harold moved off once more. I heard the crack of the rifle and looked back. The man stood there and I no longer saw a gun. The sniper shot it out of his hand. The second man with the crossbow tossed it to the ground. Police were moving in on the pair, they cuffed one and the one who had the gun was in no shape to argue. Helo 3, Sargent Lucas, all clear thanks for the help.

Back at the station I got out and went inside to fill out the necessary paperwork. Harold was refueling the Helo and giving it the necessary checkup. The chief stopped by as he usually does once a week. Hey Girl, how’s it all going? As usual, I am the little girl to him. I don’t mind the term of endearment I know it is only his way. I gave him a breakdown of the events of the week. He studied them for a moment and said; Well done, but trying to shoot a Helo out of the air with a crossbow? That’s a new one for me. He left laughing.

Harold walks in and sits in his usual chair. That bolt from the crossbow put a dent in my baby. I put a band-aid on it, and then he chuckles. Yea, Harold, the chief got a laugh over that one too. Oh, he was by already? Yea, he stopped in for a few minutes. Did he call you his baby girl again? No Harold, just girl. I guess I will always be his girl. Just don’t tell his wife.

Chapter Four

It is Friday morning, I get up shower, and turn on the local news. My uniform is all clean and pressed. I grab a bagel and some cream cheese. The news says the small tropical storm is veering off toward us. We can expect moderate winds and copious amounts of rain up to eight inches over the weekend. Yesterday was my day off and with the storm blowing in I expect Harold and I will be in our storm van.

When I get to work, I find a bunch of paperwork that needs to be done. I expected that, my relief usually leaves it all for me. Daniel walks in and apologizes to me.  In his defense, he did have a busy day yesterday. We had two separate police chases one was a stolen car. They ended well and no one was hurt.

That storm is going to blow in here tonight and will be in full force by tomorrow. You can expect to be in the weather chase van all weekend. I figured as much Harold; I saw the news this morning. Yes, girl, the Helo will not fly in winds over thirty-five knots. We should be good for today.

Harold's radio bleeps, and he jumps up. Come on girl let's get to work. So now you are copying the chief. He laughs. It’s all in fun and you do not look like you are twenty-eight. Well, thank you Harold does that mean we are going steady? Oh, I promise not to tell your wife either.

I buckle in as Harold does the preflight checks as I read them from the manual. Soon the blades are churning up and we are airborne. The radio says there is another car running from the police. We get to the location and head over to Route eighty-two. Soon we see the flashing lights of the police cars giving chase. The speeds are exceeding eighty miles per hour. I don’t know what this guy is thinking there is no place he can hide. Harold hovers over the van being chased maybe if he sees us, he may give up. Harold says; he is going to try to get on highway seventy-five. At that speed, he will never make the turns. That van is high-centered I am betting he will lose it.

No sooner than Harold said that the van turns onto the exit. As if in slow motion the van begins to lift the right side off the pavement. Soon it is on its side sliding into the field. The roof rack catches in the soft earth and the van begins to roll over. It rolls side over side three times and ends up on its roof. The police are there at the wreck in seconds. One of the officers calls to us. Do not run away, I think this guy will need immediate medical attention. Can you set down in the grassy area just south of us? Harold calls back; we can set it down. I will send Sara over to triage.

Once on the ground I jump out and grab my medical pack and start running to the place where the van is. The man is crying out in pain as I try to assess his injuries. I get a cervical collar from my pack and put it around his neck. I asked two of the officers if they could support