Man in coma after crash

By Tania Martin
PARAMEDICS placed a Healesville man in an induced coma on Sunday night following a crash in Cockatoo.
The accident happened just before 8.30pm when the man’s car left the road, hit a tree and plunged into a creek.
Emerald advanced life support paramedics were called to the scene on the corner of Bedford and Woori Yallock Roads.
Paramedic Robert Irving said crews arrived to find a car had landed in a creek.
He said a 45-year-old man was trapped in the passenger seat of the car.
His 16-year-old son was able to get out of the vehicle but had briefly lost consciousness.
Mr Irving said there was about 30 centimetres of water in the creek, which made the rescue even more difficult.
‘The man suffered head injuries and was quite agitated as a result,’ he said.
‘A drip was put in his arm and he was given fluid to help stabilise his blood pressure, while rescue crews worked to cut the roof from the car to free him.”
Mr Irving said once the man was out of the car, paramedics gave him a combination of drugs to sedate and paralyse him.
“A breathing tube was then inserted deep into his airway, allowing paramedics to take over breathing for him,” he said.
Emerald SES road crash rescue team was called to the scene to help cut the man out of the car. The man was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in a serious condition and his son was taken to Dandenong Hospital for observation.
An Alfred hospital spokeswoman said the man was now in a critical but stable condition.