Firefighters Rescue Man Trapped Under Forklift

INCIDENT DATE/TIME: 3/26/23 4:53 p.m.
LOCATION: Calle Trepadora & Calle Negocio
CITY: San Clemente
DETAILS:

One man was left in critical condition after his forklift somehow left him trapped underneath. 
Just before 5 p.m. the Orange County Fire Authority was dispatched to a technical rescue near the intersection of Calle Trepadora & Calle Negocio in San Clemente. 
Arriving crews found a forklift on its side with the driver pinned underneath and requested for more resources to assist. 
It took firefighters nearly 30 minutes to free the man from underneath the forklift using airbags and cribbing techniques to stabilize the vehicle. 
It is unknown what the man was delivering or why he was operating the heavy machinery and the Orange County sheriff’s department is investigating.

Injured in a crash? Call Wilshire Law Firm today! [phone]

Follow our other platforms!

[bobbymoss]

I missed the part where someone's actually trapped under the forklift...

[stevenjohnson]

Unfortunately it would appear the operator was not wearing the seat belt. You can see it is in the retracted position at 2:02. Wearing the seat belt is critical for keeping the operator inside the cage in the event of a tip over.

[glendamcdaniel]

I hope this man recovers from his injuries. That's a lot of weight to be on him. I've seen guys drive off a dock, tip over because they extended their forks to the very top. I ended up giving a safety talk every day when I was a supervisor in a warehouse.

[billbradley]

I was a forklift driver 15 years then became a Truck Driver. At safety meetings they’d warn us and tell us how many died so far that year due to forklift turn overs.

[MrDejast]

Did you see those skid marks? Looks like he tried to drift that thing.

[historyhunter]

I hope it got hit, to save this dudes ego, or just a little bit of it. But those skids marks for one shows he had that truck full throttle, no seat belt, and barley worn boots... All signs of someone that got the job bc they said "Sure I can drive it, it's just like a car right...."

[cutratecontractor]

He wasn't following osha safety guidelines

[itsrtvbaby]

Great job, always thankful for first responders 🙏🏿✨

[KING]

This is similar to "Fire Dept. rescues Cat trapped under Elephant."

[johnbliss]

Probably showing off and flipped her over

[bobsmithinson]

People don’t realize how heave these are because they are so small. The counterweight on the back alone weighs more than a car at 3000-5000lbs

[fastlaynem]

What was the shackle and short length of chain @ 0:57? What was the black, diamond plate structure @ 1:30? Was something being carried by chain/strap and it broke free in front of the forklift?

[lancearmsgone]

Those firefighters could have just lifted the forklift w/ their hands instead of standing around

[kevinwallis]

well he must not have had a seat belt on. ive seen belts clipped together to avoid the belt buzzer

[gregwiens]

Perhaps he was dwi and the firefighters were there just to lift his spirits.

[DrDeuteron]

0:50 so the coat is over the cable for visibility?

[owencrutcher]

He didn't follow protocol on tip overs.

[TwinkieGurlMeowMeow]

Slow down forklift driver. Guess he won’t be operating one once he’s back on the job.

[maestrovso]

Must be a road legal forklift to be on the middle of the street. 🤔 I can't help but to notice the scene is on a slope, and there is another forklift as well as what looks like a truck that it must had must been where it was just off loaded.

[fern]

My co "worker" won't lace up his boots either. they probably can't reach them.