93-Year Old Waits 11 Hours in Car to be Rescued
Posted on July 9, 2012 Written By: iadminlaw
A California Highway Patrol Cessna 206 (N441HP) prepares to depart Bakersfield’s Meadows Field on patrol (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A 93-year old woman survived her car plunging 50 to 60 feet and being trapped in her vehicle for 11 hours. When interviewed, the elderly driver shows no indication of being afraid when she was trapped inside her own car. Her ability to stay calm and collected helped her get through what would normally be a terrifying ordeal, in a composed manner.
On Friday morning of July 6, Genevieve Couch was travelling on Highway 70 which is just a bit north of Marysville, CA. While she was driving, her wheels started jerking, causing her to lose control of the vehicle and to slide down an embankment for about 50 to 60 feet. After the car had stopped sliding, Couch tried to get out only to discover that her door was pinned shut by a tree.
The passenger’s side was not any help since that door was pinned by thorny bushes. Still, Couch tried to exit her vehicle only to receive several puncture wounds and cuts on her arm from the thorns on the bushes. She had tried to beat the bushes back with her cane but to no avail. Instead of escaping, Couch had received several injuries on her arm which she nursed herself by creating a makeshift bandage and wrapping it around her wound.
Upon sliding down the embankment, Couch said she immediately opened her windows while the car still had electric power. This allowed her to have fresh air for the 11 hours she was stuck inside her automobile. Because Couch did not let panic cloud her judgment, she was able to perform all the necessary tasks one should take when stuck in a vehicle.
It took hours for the police to find Couch. There was even a California Highway Patrol helicopter flying overhead to try to locate the elderly lady from the sky, but could not because of the deep bushes and nature concealing her. It was people walking by who eventually spotted Couch and called the police. And after 11 hours of waiting in her car, Genevieve Couch was rescued.
When asked on how she endured being stuck in her car, Couch told listeners that she wasn’t scared. The one thing she wanted, she said, was a drink of water. When searching her car, she said she was not even able to find any candy or gum to keep her satisfied.
As for advice, Couch said that the most important thing to do when in a trying situation is to keep calm and not panic.
Couch was very fortunate in that no one was injured when she lost control of her vehicle. She was also lucky that she did not receive any serious personal injury when she slid down the embankment.
While this story ends happily in that no one was seriously harmed, some accidents are less fortunate. If you have received personal injury because of an unsafe highway or because of other negligent drivers, do not hesitate to call a Sacramento personal injury lawyer today.
