g>ucce£2tful &e3cue operation A young father and snowplow operator, Donald Fyfe , on a bitterly cold January night in 1968 was successfully rescued from his overturned snowplow. Donald was attempting to assist a stranded motorist, and in the act of turning the snowplow went too far on the shoulder of the road, flipping the snowplow over the embankment and pinning himself beneath it. In particular his right arm was securely held, cutting off blood circulation. Key players from Stanley Bridge in this massive operation were Donald's father, Elmer, who by encouraging words kept Donald conscious through the long ordeal. A retired physician, Dr. Howatt , slugged through the snowdrifts and bitter cold to give medical aid to the injured man. Neighbours Buddy MacEwen, Ken MacKay , Eddie Gallant and others braved the elements to help their friend. D.B . and Rosa Reid who lived closest to the accident scene raised the alarm and offered their home as the first-aid station. This story has a positive ending. Donald recovered completely after many months of physio¬ therapy. Today Donald is still plowing roads in the Stanley Bridge and surrounding areas. The Guardian report of January 7, describes in detail this four hour rescue operation. FYFE DOING WELL Rescue Operation Is Described * "A Itnir fHuatlon" waa the pray Donald Barlow ,- manager of Maritime Construction term¬ ed the rescue Sunday night' ol a mow plow ope/dor- • trapped under hit overturned machine,— n^Wrr- B wloTr-bat He^fciME^PJ-f* from Breadalbane .to Stanley Brldge-where 'one of his plows avert uroed. while attempting to 'assist a motorist- bogged down la'heavy enow. The plow opera¬ tor. Donald Fyfe , wai*trapped four houra under the plow before rescuers were able to free him. Nine anow plows, two jmbul- ancei and a mobile crane took — part-in (be-^eacue-operation.--- Mr. Fyfe 'arrived by ambul¬ ance at (he Prince Edward li- land Hospital shortly, after 1 a.m. He was treated by Dr. A.A. Mac ¬ Leod of Bonahaw for frostbite and. exposure. Hospital officials reported last night .- Mr. Fyfe was doing '.very well". but time did not permit waiting for the.machine,, being escorted througb.snow clogged roads from Sflmmefslde by snowplow'17- . ■' The-rescue crew then began to dig under,, the overturned machine with weight being taken i much, as possible by anotbe' machine. "This was also danger* bus because we didn't know when the machine could slip or tittle with snow being taken from underneath," . Mr. Billow Bald . . ■••-- -7- -: Once the anow was dug.away, cutting torches were brought in to cut. iwiy the crushed cab before ine man could be relena- edr-He- was freed-«bout-lt-pAm> fler being trapped, .for. four PINNED .UNDER CAB Mr. Barlow , directing opera¬ tions at the scene, said the man was pinned across the .mid¬ section - by the crushed cab of the machine. He taid the mach¬ ine was settling constantly and putting Increasing pressure on the trapped man. Efforts were made to lift the plow with' other machinery at the scene but this faad-to be ab¬ andoned because or tn« danger oMhe upset.machlne.ahlfllng or tables breaking. Mr. "Barlow said'the mobile crane'despatch¬ ed to the scene from CFB Sum- merslde- could have lifted the plow with lest danger Involved nTurT1,The resruert"' attempted' to keep the trapped man warm wllbJiot water battles and blank- els but he suffered exposure and frostbite. A retired ohysl- clan. Dr.' W.B , Howattjof Stanley Brldgeuraa- Jt-thLice ne_a;id hep^a-eheckron-ttw jnjured-man and treated Mm following" nil release from the-machine .—The man was taken to the borne ot D.B- Held to. await the-arrival of an ambulance. Mr, Fyfewat conscious throughout the ret?ue. TWO AMBULANCES Two ambulancet were on thetr way to the icewt escorted by ptowsone irom Charlotlelown and another" from Summerslde. The Summerslde ambulance was In the same convoy as the mobile crane/ Although both ambulance es¬ corts experienced Jwivy toing, the ambulance from Charlotte- town was within 10 miles of the scene by the time the rnaa'waJ freed from the wreck. Two plowa were sent from Stanley Bridge to meet the oncoming plows and the ambulance -finally made It to (he community. Mr. Fyfe was placed aboard—and- the—ptow- eacftrted ambulance started back for Charloftetown. arriving at Hit HdspltaTabout three o'clock" yesTerday mora-" Ing. TOUCH AND GO Brendon Henbessy,* who along with 'crewman David Lawlor were manning the ambulance, Batdnt^>'irtouc^^aTtdrgo"all--tba way/ —..,--•. "^TmrTiIoir -BpeTator~dkI i " great job to. make It,". Mr. Hen ¬ nessey-said A-Many- timet - ha bad to get out of the cab'to get its"'bearings- In—-the—swirling now. We followed the pl"w very closely, and although the going was. slow and frustrating, (he only time I thought we might* not make It was-when the plow( I truck type with,-plow, left the highway oji the Glasgow road. Another plow was sent from Charloltetown lb haul him out and one started, toward ai from , the plow tr'nt from Cbarlnttetown got to the scene and.pulled our plow back on the road. Z___„ 'Coming hack was a little bet¬ ter although nur track ' was pretty welt drifted back In and the visibility was still zero Mr. Hennessey said, ~ ■"■--■—» - J "h* plow, based In Charlotte- town, was. driven by Harold Cle ¬ ments of Marshfield . 482