Stories

During the 2017 fires in Sonoma, firefighter Jonathan Martinez’s engine crew was in Kenwood working on a hillside. He heard one of his partners yell “Rock!”

“Usually they’re just little ankle-biters,” he says, “But this boulder knocked me about 15 feet off the mountainside, then rolled over me. I felt intense pain for a few seconds before everything went numb.”

A CHP helicopter hoisted Jonathan off the hillside, then transferred him to a REACH helicopter to go to the Queen. He was admitted to the Emergency Department and soon learned that he had a broken ankle, broken clavicle, hairline fractures on his ribs, significant bruising and—the major concern—contused lungs.

Between his fractured clavicle, which was broken into multiple fragments, and his ankle, Jonathan required two separate surgeries totaling about three-and-a-half hours. The advantages of having his trauma surgery at the Queen included not only the quality of the operating room facilities, but also the excellent staff in the emergency department, the trauma team and postoperative care personnel.

About two-and-a-half months after his surgery, when he was strong enough to stand and move his left arm, Jonathan started physical therapy sessions. Six months later, Jonathan had recovered and was back on the job. He says, “I thought I’d be more fearful than I am—but I definitely pay more attention to rocks!”