Grants Pass man reunites with first responders after suffering traumatic injury

GRANTS PASS, Ore — A Grants Pass man met first responders that saved his life Tuesday, after an accident nearly three months ago.

40-year-old Bryson Whitehead and his friends felled a tree on the 700 block of Upper Powell Creek Road on May 19th. Parts of the tree fell on Whitehead and severely injured him. His left eye was damaged and needed to be reconstructed.

To this day Whitehead has trouble remembering all of the events that took place that afternoon.

“When the tree fell, there was enough weight that it was able to tip the log up,” Whitehead told NBC5. “It went over top of the Madrone and slid back up and hit me.”

Days after he woke up in the hospital, doctors told Whitehead that they were amazed he was still alive. That’s when he wanted to reach out to the Williams Fire Rescue and American Medical Response team that aided him.

Williams Fire Chief Rick Vetter was one of the crewmembers that responded to the incident. He says its not often they meet people they’ve saved, but is grateful to run into Whitehead again.

Vetter gifted him a Williams Fire Rescue t-shirt and badge to remember them.

“They just coordinated so quickly and saved my life,” Whitehead said. “These guys were just all there for me and I appreciate it.”