Man dies in tragic wood chipper accident in Alpine, Wyoming …

A man from the Alpine region died on Tuesday in an accident involving a wood chipper, reports the Alpine Volunteer Fire Department.

Firefighters were called to the scene near Alpine, Wyoming, at 1:34 p.m. Tuesday because a man was caught in a wood chipper, Alpine Fire Chief Mike Vogt told the Cowboy State Daily Thursday.

One of about five firefighters on site pulled the man out of the device, Vogt said.

A paramedic and five emergency medical technicians from Star Valley Health Ambulance were also on scene, said rescue chief Bud Clark.

Two Lincoln County Sheriff’s agents also responded.

The fire department freed the man by dismantling part of the wood chipper and lifting the cutting drum. The wood chipper looked brand new, Vogt noted.

He said the man was working on a contract program (not for Alpine Fire) to clear debris to prevent wildfires and died in the plane.

“This is not a normal job”

Vogt said he did not know the victim personally.

However, Clark said some of his paramedics knew the victim personally and one had served with him in the military.

“That’s the problem with doing (emergency services) in a small community like ours,” Clark said. “We always end up running into people we know.”

This could worsen the trauma faced by aid workers, he said.

Clark hosted a critical incident stress debriefing that evening, allowing first responders in attendance to discuss the incident and shed tears. He said counseling and mental health are important components of the agency.

“This is not a normal job,” Clark said. “If you sent a bank teller to the crime scene we had him up there at, he would be ruined for the rest of his life.”

Not viable

Clark said the wood chipper incident was not survivable.

Vogt agreed, saying the victim’s injuries were too severe for rescuers to have to constantly think about how they could have saved the man.

The thought may be dark, but it helps to combat the waves of guilt, says Vogt.

“There’s no way you can ask, ‘We could have done this, or we could have done that to save him,'” he said. “There wouldn’t have been enough … time.”

Vogt said he was a firefighter in Casper for 23 years before working in Alpine and has been to fatal accident scenes before. That helped him deal with the incident, but he worries about the volunteers who work with him, he said.

Vogt said the incident could also serve as a learning opportunity and urged people to be cautious and take safety precautions when handling dangerous equipment. In a public statement sent earlier this week, he expressed his condolences to the victim’s family.

professionalism

The foreman who called 911, Oak VonSegderen, said that while the incident was tragic, he was surprised by the speed and professionalism of the fire and rescue personnel.

VonSegderen was a career firefighter with about 30 years of experience, including 27 years in Casper and five as Swan Valley Fire Chief.

“I’ve been there a lot and seen a lot, but I’ve never had to be at this point – and it’s very difficult,” VonSegderen said.

The response times of the fire and rescue services in the hilly area off the highway were incredible for the crews in this rural area, he said.

“The skill and professionalism of the paramedics that came was as good as I’ve ever seen in my life,” VonSegderen added. “The volunteer firefighters that came were so on task, everyone was on task (including) the dispatchers and – I think sometimes you don’t think about us rescuers when you don’t need them.”

VonSegderen became emotional and asked his wife, Bridgett Ryan, to end the interview.

Ryan said her husband was alone in the mountains when he called 911, but the operator stayed on the line, which is what he needed.

She also thanks Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies for their help on the scene. And she said Clark put VonSegderen in touch with Sara Burnside, a therapist at Star Valley Health, this week, which was another blessing in this disaster.

Ryan had urged VonSegderen to speak to the Cowboy State Daily so that, despite the tragedy, people would understand what emergency workers go through for others.

“It’s so tragic, it’s like something good has to come out of this,” Ryan said. “And right now, that’s pretty much all we’re seeing.”

Claire McFarland can be reached at [email protected].