By Larry Hartstein
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA, Ga. — Dan Marlow is a typical pilot —- calm and cool.
So when he came running inside their Cobb County home Sunday afternoon and said, “This is really, really bad,” his wife, Jeanine, knew he wasn’t exaggerating.
A huge boulder had rolled down a slope and pinned their son, Charles, against another rock. The boulder was crushing his legs, and the 14-year-old was screaming. Family, friends and neighbors could not budge it.
“I was panicked, thinking, ‘When they get this off I’m going to have bones sticking out of my legs,’ ” Charles told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. “ ‘How am I going to walk?’ I’m on the swim team and I’m thinking, ‘How am I going to swim?’ ”
After calling 911, Charles’ mother called her parents and asked them to pray.
Marietta firefighters arrived quickly. Within 20 to 25 minutes, a 12-man crew using hydraulic equipment lifted the boulder 4 to 6 inches. At the same time they inserted wood cribbing to prevent the boulder from slipping back.
“They got here so fast and did such a wonderful job,” Jeanine Marlow said. “I just want to stress what a great, great job they did.”
Charles, who was pinned about half an hour, was kept overnight at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. He suffered only a broken bone in his right foot, plus some swelling, cuts and bruises.
“It’s just a miracle,” his mother said. “The doctors were just amazed.”
The Marlows’ home sits at the base of Kennesaw Mountain. Cross a creek in their backyard, and there’s a big hill dotted with trees and rocks. Large rocks.
Charles, the youngest of four children and an eighth-grader at Cornerstone Preparatory Academy in Acworth, was on that hill with a friend when they decided to go sledding in the snow. They headed inside to grab a board.
Charles was making his way down when he braced himself against the boulder so he wouldn’t slip. He didn’t see the boulder begin to move.
“Halfway down I look back and it starts falling,” he recalled. “I tried to run a little and jump out of the way. I just didn’t have time. It went way too fast. It pinned me against another rock.”
He couldn’t wiggle out. His friend ran for help.
The boulder, which rolled 10 yards, weighs about 1,300 pounds, fire officials said.
Marietta Assistant Fire Chief Kelly Caldwell said the biggest challenge was getting heavy equipment across the creek and up the embankment quickly.
“The really fortunate part was that it was his lower extremities that were trapped, not his torso or head,” Caldwell said.
If he ever decides to go sledding again, Charles said, “It’s going to be somewhere where there are no boulders. I don’t want to relive that experience.”
Charles returned to school Wednesday to take finals.
Copyright 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution