Seabees help family caught in dangling car

Photo courtesy California Highway Patrol

Wreckage dangles precariously from a bridge near Buellton. Seabees returning from Field Training Exercises in Fort Hunter Liggett were able to maneuver a forklift across the chasm to keep the vehicle from slipping while three people inside were rescued.

Photo courtesy California Highway Patrol

A 100-foot fall threatens the slipping wreckage.

Six Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 and the 31st Seabee Readiness Group (SRG) saved a family involved in a disastrous wreck on Highway 101 near Buellton on Jan. 12.

Equipment Operator 1st Class (SCW) Frankie Cruz, Construction Mechanic 2nd Class (SCW) Michael McCracken and Equipment Operator Constructionman Clinton Roberts of NMCB 3, along with Construction Mechanic 2nd Class (SCW) Shawn Legg, Construction Mechanic 2nd Class (SCW) Benjamin Mead and Construction Mechanic 3rd Class (SCW) James Winters from the 31SRG operated a forklift to keep the wrecked vehicle from sliding off the bridge while rescue crews extracted the family of three.

“As the fire department was cutting the car to get the family out, it kept on slipping over the bridge and faced a 100-foot fall,” said McCracken, the forklift operator. “I talked to the fire captain in charge and he was excited to hear that we had an extendable-boom forklift just 200 to 300 feet behind the wreck, and he said to go get it.”

California Highway Patrol Officer Danny Maher said the Seabees had pulled over to see if they could help.

“They came up, they all got out and wanted to know if they could help maybe with traffic or something else,” Maher said during an interview with news station KCOY 12. “They had a large forklift with them that we were able to obtain and have them use so they could support the BMW. As it was teetering on the side of the bridge, they supported the BMW so the fire department could get in and extricate the parties.”

The forklift was being transported back to Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, from Fort Hunter Liggett, where NMCB 3 had finished an exercise. The Seabees quickly and safely off-loaded it and brought it up and stabilized the car so that the rescue crews could use the Jaws of Life to extract the mother and her two young children.

“The mom and two children are all alive, and we had a hand in it,” said McCracken. “That is the biggest thing that I got out of it.”

During the interview, Maher said the family can thank the quick work of Seabees.

“We were just in the right place at the right time,” said McCracken.