Buried Alive by 100 Tons of Road Base

[DouginUtah]

On Thursday, August 14 I went to the gravel pit to get some road base to level some sloping ground where I need to put a concrete parking pad.

I only needed about two yards so I was using my 1/2–ton pickup and trailer. I was just taking 1/2 yard per trip, and had made two trips already and had just pulled up to the base for the third load and had put a couple of shovel-fulls onto the trailer. I heard a noise and out of the corner of my eye I saw the (70°) hillside coming toward me. I ran to the front of the trailer hoping to get over the tongue, but I didn't quite make it. As it caught my feet I went down on the tongue. The force of the gravel hitting the truck moved it about three feet sideways. I was covered up to my shoulder blades, but fortunately my head was not buried. I started yelling for help. There was a dump truck sitting about 100' away but he was idling and couldn't hear me. After about ten minutes another dump truck drove by, saw me, the stopped and grabbed a shovel and came over and asked if I could breath.

My legs were buried so tight that I could not move them even an 1/8th of an inch. My hand had fallen on the tongue and my lower rib cage landed on my knuckles.

A lot of people started arriving although I couldn't see them in my position. The ambulance guys got to me and insisted on starting an IV, although I insisted I didn't need it.

A bunch of guys were digging and spelling each other off, but as they dug more sloughed off and buried me more. They got a piece of OSB out of my truck and used it to block. My trailer was so totally covered with the gravel that people coming on scene had to be told there was a trailer hooked to the truck.

When they tried to pull me out is when I became aware that I had some broken ribs. Pain! Eventually they got my legs unburied and lifted me out and put me on a stretcher and into the ambulance.

Ten miles to the Logan hospital where they did a CT-Scan and confirmed that I had two fractured ribs (seven and eight) but no damage to my spleen.

Two and a half hours later I was released and they hired a taxi to take me back to my truck—needed to get it since my keys were in it—for my car to drive back to Layton. Haven't found my trailer yet. It may still be buried.

SO....
Have any of you guys had broken ribs? I'm really concerned about the healing process. The paper I got from the nurse said expect it to take four to six weeks to heal. Whenever I get up I feel the broken ribs grating/slipping/snapping on each piece (very painful) and I wonder how they are ever going to bond back together when they are sliding out of position every two to four hours. I'm also concerned that I haven't had a bowel movement for three days.  :

They say the biggest complication is pneumonia from not breathing deeply enough.

It sure did smash the door and fender on the passenger side of my truck.




Just about free.



Wish I had a 'before' picture.



Yes, there is a trailer there somewhere.



Notice how high the gravel is on the topper windows.

[Fla._Deadheader]

DanG Doug. 

  I had 3 cracked ribs, from being ejected from a mare. Took at least 6 weeks, before I could do anything, other than walk and look at all the work I needed to get done. I had adhesive tape wrapped around me, but, if it gets too tight, the ribs can't move, and Pneumonia is a REAL threat.

  Glad to see you are still upright. Heal well, and quickly. DON'T rush it.  ;)

[thecfarm]

WOW,you are some lucky.You could of been buried and no one would of known you was there!!!!!!   Look how it buried your trailer!!!  Someone was watching out for you on Thursday.A bucket loader and operator got buried  the same way at a pit around here. But he was in it.He did not get hurt. Good luck with your ribs.

[beenthere]

Wow, that was too close. Glad you only have the broken ribs.  

Yes, had one broken from a fall at 16, and it was a loooong time (seems like it was months) of pain and trying to breath. Now, I just am asked "Do you know you at one time had a broken rib?" when I get an x-ray. Yep...not tellin me anything new. Nothing they would do, or could do, to help either...I was told.

Your are lucky. I'm surprised they would let you in there, and that close with a trailer. Got a better chance being in a big loader. 

[Jeff]

Nothing better then hearing about this THEN FROM YOU! Thank God you can tell us and it aint somebody else.  I have a sneaking feeling that the rules will be a changing at that gravel pit in regards to self loading from now on.   I've got some friends that work in the pits around here and they tell be about close calls they have had even being in heavy equipment.

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah, how unlucky can a man get. But at least your still around to talk about it. 

I've had bruised ribs before and it's some hard to sleep. I thought I had a broken one or even a cracked one, but doc said no. Might as well have been.  :D :D

[Kevin]

Glad to hear you are ok and still with us Doug.
Stay still for awhile!

[Burlkraft]

Wow Doug   You are one lucky guy !!!

Gald to hear that you are going to be okay.

Most of the pits around here won't even load a trailer for ya. If ya ain't got a dump truck, ya ain't gittin' any gravel   :

[Corley5]

Wow    You're just DanG lucky to still be here.  Take care of those ribs.

[Tom]

Did you live, Doug?

I've had Broken Ribs and they hurt.  At your age, you won't be healed in 6 weeks.  I think you should be thinking about 60, maybe 90,  days before the pain subsides enough that you don't pay attention to it.   I know they wrap you pretty good, but be careful still.  The biggest danger is that you puncture a lung, large blood vessel or your heart.  Don't over do it.

Glad you made it out.  I'll bet you were sure glad to see those guys with shovels.  :D

[Lanier_Lurker]

All I can say is......wow.

Although, I must confess that I laughed a little about the 3 days overdue bowel movement.  :

Then again, I realize that is no laughing matter.  It cannot be positively affecting your comfort level.

[sawguy21]

Man, you are lucky. 8) That was far too close for comfort. As Burlkraft said, a lot of pits will not allow self loads due to liability concerns.
My girlfriend recently broke two ribs from a fall. When sleeping, she found she was more comfortable turned on the injured side, the ribs received better support. There is not much to be done except take it easy and let them heal on their own.

[WDH]

Sheesh Doug, that is some bad stuff.  Count your blessings for being alive.  That will make the pain from the broken ribs a little more bearable.

[Dan_Shade]

wow, add me to the list that' glad that you were able to make this post.  Hope you're back up to speed soon.

[Paul_H]

I didn't enjoy reading that at all Doug,other than the part where you made it out alive.
Smarten up! ???  ;)

[CLL]

Doug hope your doing well. Broken ribs are no fun. Had a few from working with stupid horses. The worst thing is sneezing or coughing.OUCH!!!!!!  Take care and do what the doctor says. Lung infections can get the best of you.   P.S. The local quarries here won't let people load their own, just for what happened to you.

[metalspinner]

There's something to be said about being the guy that rules are made for.

That's in jest only because you made it out.  You are a very lucky man.   Good luck with the recovery.

[Woodchuck53]

Glad your on the road to recovery Doug. Thank god your here with us. Being a type of guy who hauls his own gravel also I took this lesson to the morning safety meeting with me. Most every one here is a can do hands on type A personalty and we share what if's like this all the time. Take care of your self and let it heal right. Chuck

[crtreedude]

Doug, I know we can be a little short on stories here but honestly, you don't need to go and do something like that to liven up the day. I am sure a few of us can stretch the truth a bit instead of you having to have an accident...  :

In all seriousness, glad you were able to write about it and you take care with those ribs.

[Gary_C]

Wow Doug !  Glad you got out with just a few bad ribs. There are just too many stories about slides and cave ins that are not good endings.

About those ribs, years ago they used to tape them up and I think it did more harm than good. And the worse part of that was when they pulled the tape off. 

Just take it easy and try not to laugh or get a cold or cough. That's when it gets real fun.  :

[Kevin_H.]

Wow 

Doug, keep an eye out for the pneumonia , sometimes it will start as a productive cough, it might be hard to breath or keep from coughing when lying down, don't be afraid to go and get a chest film if you think it is coming on.   Catching it early and getting on something like z pac will save you a lot of pain later.

As far as the bowel movement goes, all I can say is that if I had turned around and seen a mountain sliding towards me, I would have had 3 days worth of BM's taken care of before it ever hit.   ;D

[Don P]

If it ain't happened by morning I'd be making a call, you have been seriously squeezed, not many people survive that  .

I also can't count the number of times I've pulled up just like you did and had the loader take a dipper for me. I hate to have gone to school on you like that, thank you for the wakeup call.

[Sprucegum]

I second the motion - get those bowels moving! You don't want to pressure up at this stage  ;)

Little kids can go a week or more with no ill effects. Adults can run into all kinds of bacterial problems.

Good luck and God Bless

[Tom]

This'll also be a good time to lay off of the peanut butter sandwiches and the grilled cheese.   Green beans and collards might make life a lot easier.  :D :D

[rebocardo]

Doug,

I would call that a fortunate escape, I think if you made it up on the trailer, you would have been crushed and buried as it does not look like the trailer did too well.

It looks like you got saved by the triangle factor.

One to save for your "scrape" book.  ;)