By Laura French
CINCINNATI — Dashcam footage shows the efforts of first responders to escort donor lungs and a team of doctors to a Cincinnati Children’s Hospital during a snowstorm.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) firefighters were called to assist in the delivery of the organs after the doctors’ flight was diverted due to snow Wednesday night, according to WLWT. First responders were told they only had a two-hour window to get the lungs to the hospital in time.
CVG Firefighter-EMT Jason Baumann drove a truck carrying the organs and three doctors through treacherous conditions, facing gridlocked traffic and poor road conditions on the route to the hospital. As traffic worsened going into the city, Baumann was assisted by the Cincinnati Police Traffic Unit, which shared dashcam footage of the responders’ race against time.
“The traffic was horrible the entire ride. I was just trying to squeeze in-between cars,” Baumann told WLTW, adding that most of the drive was spent driving through 10 inches of snow on the shoulder of the road.
Baumann said the assistance of Cincinnati police, including Lt. Brian Norris and Spc. Joe Stevens, helped to ease the difficult journey, which lasted more than an hour before they reached the front doors of the hospital.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital said it could not discuss details about patient care but thanked the CVG Fire Department and Cincinnati Police Department for braving the dangerous conditions to help a young patient in need.