By Dan Kelley
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Copyright 2008 Corpus Christi Caller-Times
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Some Corpus Christi firefighters will undergo re-education after an ambulance became stuck in sand near Beach Access Road 3 on Wednesday.
The incident comes two months after an ambulance carrying a boy who drowned got stuck in the sand twice. After that incident, emergency responders pledged to keep two 4-wheel-drive trucks stationed on Mustang Island.
Under the new policy, the trucks will retrieve patients and bring them to ambulances that will wait on hardtop, thus avoiding the possibility that ambulances will get stuck in the sand and delay response times.
“We’re going to re-educate those folks about using that ambulance on the beach,” said assistant chief Randy Paige.
Wednesday’s incident was not life-threatening. Paramedics were responding to a call of a woman stung by a Portuguese man-of-war, a type of jellyfish. A second ambulance was dispatched to respond.
In May, John Michael Ortiz, 6, was swept away by a wave while walking in the surf with an older brother.
Bystanders had to push the ambulance twice after it became stuck in the sand.
Fire officials do not believe that the ambulance delay contributed to the boy’s death.