By Matthew Velez
This past Sunday, Culberson Hospital EMS was dispatched to a call reporting a female had slipped and fallen into an arroyo with unknown injuries. While en route, the EMS crew learned that the female was about fifteen miles into rough terrain south of Allamoore. Unaware of the extent of injury or trauma, EMS Director, L. Herrera made the decision to launch the closest medevac. Culberson Hospital EMT’s and US Border Patrol agents worked at the rescue site for almost two and a half hours. Native Air, dispatched from Carlsbad, faced the only option to land the aircraft a mile and a half from the rescue site for assistance. Sheriff Oscar Carrillo identified the patient as 57 year old Jeanne Wimberly of Pine Town, NM. She was transported by air ambulance to University Medical Center, El Paso and treated for a hip fracture. Culberson Hospital EMS is planning on having more training in order to start a Combined Search and Rescue team (ComSAR) to better serve Culberson County and the surrounding area in situations like this.
