Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) At the end of his three-month hospital stay, D.C. Firefighter Dane Smothers, Jr. said he has no qualms about returning to service following an accident that nearly took his life away.
Doctors say Smothers’ heart had stopped when he arrived at the hospital after he was struck by a firetruck at a scene in Northeast D.C. on Aug. 2.
“Mr. Smothers had many severe organ injuries, bleeding vessels, and broken bones throughout his body,” Medstar Washington Hospital Center’s Dr. Jack Sava told reporters. “During the first 48 hours in the Intensive Care Unit, the ICU team worked minute-by-minute to keep him alive through the night.”
Sava said it looked more likely that Smothers would pass away than survive for the first two nights.
After about a month in the hospital, and another two months across the street at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Smothers was told this week he can return home. Doctors said he recently was able to ditch his cane, and took slow, deliberate steps into a press conference Wednesday to speak with reporters, still restricted by a neck brace.
“I just wanted to thank everyone, especially the staff, nurses, and doctors who helped save my life,” Smothers said. “The journey won’t stop here. I’ll continue on to continue to get better. And I just want to thank everyone.”
Firefighter Dane Smothers heads to his press conference to thank everyone for his remarkable road to recovery.#DCsBravest #saferstrongerdc pic.twitter.com/6StCofCf8U
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) October 25, 2017
Smothers was just two months into the job when the incident occurred. He also comes from a firefighting family. Two of his uncles are also D.C. firefighters, and one had responded to that same fire.
“As you can see, (he’s) in his uniform, still one of us, and we’re excited about that,” Fire Chief Greg Dean said. “We’re motivated by this young man and his strength that we’re seeing on a daily basis.”
Investigators are still looking into the circumstances that led to the accident, Dean said.
Doctors said Smothers still has months of rehab ahead of him and a return to firefighting operations remains uncertain due to nerve damage, but Dean said they will work toward the goal nevertheless.
“Dane’s plan, and our plan, is to return him to operations,” Dean said. “He’s got a lot of work to do, but that’s the goal.”
Reporters were told Smothers would not answer any questions, but he felt compelled to give one more emphatic statement.
“I’m not scared to run in a burning building, still not scared,” Smothers said. “Still not afraid of a challenge.”
Copyright 2017, WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: @dcfireems)
