Mendocino National Forest Hit by Tree Fatality 1962

John Coleman, a 20-year-old college student from Chico, California, was fatally injured by a falling snag while assigned to a lightning fire on the Mendocino National Forest, 20 miles northwest of Paskenta. Coleman was a seasonal employee of the US Forest Service, and was engaged in cutting down a burning tree when he was struck by a snag (whether it was the tree he was cutting is not known). The tree strike severely injured both legs, and he remained in place with his fellow firefighters treating him for an hour as they attempted to draw the attention of another group of firefighters with a radio. When the injury was reported via radio, a Los Padres National Forest helicopter assigned to the Mendocino NF brought a doctor to the area and dropped a chainsaw to the firefighters on the ground. A small helispot was cut and the doctor was flown in, though the spot was not big enough to completely land. Coleman was packaged and flown out to Corning Memorial Hospital, where it landed at 1650. Time since the injury was over 6 hours. Coleman was rushed to surgery, where after numerous successful resuscitations, he passed away at 0435, Saturday, July 29. 

Hit by Tree, Fatality, Medevac, Initial Attack