CANTIL, Calif., On May 3, 2025, at approximately 7:43 p.m., Kern County firefighters were dispatched to an off-road rescue at the Dove Springs OHV Area. Reports indicated multiple victims involved in an ATV accident with severe injuries. Due to access challenges at the reported location, firefighters added Scout 8, Station 83’s Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) to the response. Initially, KCFD’s Helicopter 407 was the only available airship and was launched to assist in locating the accident and to provide hoist capabilities if needed.

Dispatchers at KCFD’s Emergency Communications Center maintained contact with the reporting party at the scene, gathering location information via cell phone. Despite the darkness of the desert night and the rugged terrain, Battalion 8, Patrol 84 and Scout 8 reached the scene. The area was inaccessible by ambulance and Scout 8 transported the ambulance medic. A multicolored LED buggy whip attached to one of the ATVs greatly aided firefighters in pinpointing the location.

A rapid assessment revealed two critically injured patients. Both had been ejected from their side-by-side ATV after crashing without using safety restraints.

Reach 82, a medevac helicopter based in Porterville, became available and responded to a nearby landing zone. H-407, operating with night vision goggles, performed a short-haul extraction of one patient, briefly landing at the accident site to load the individual before transferring them to Reach 82 for advanced life support during the flight to the hospital.

Scout 8 demonstrated its versatility by transporting the second patient in a Stokes basket, along with caregivers, back to the point where the ambulance had been halted by the difficult terrain.

Firefighters both on the ground and in the air overcame the challenges of locating, treating, and evacuating the victims under challenging, nighttime desert conditions. Both patients were safely transported to hospital care.

To keep yourself and others safe, please always wear a seatbelt or safety restraint, whether on pavement or off the beaten path!