From the Back of the Ambulance to the Coal Mine
David Lane was born and raised in Wyoming County, West Virginia, and he discovered his passion for helping others at just 16 years old when he joined the fire department. By the time he was 18, he had his EMT certification and was navigating the unique challenges of rural emergency medicine. In the hills of West Virginia, being a first responder meant dealing with long transport times and relying on deep-seated knowledge to keep patients alive until a helicopter could arrive. To support his family and his wife’s nursing education, David eventually made the difficult decision to leave the low pay of EMS and head underground to work in the coal mines.
“Being far away from the hospital you really got to dig deep in your bag and all the knowledge that you’ve picked up and everything you’ve learned. You will be put to the test.”
The Nightmare at Pinnacle Creek
On October 30, 2006, David’s life changed forever during a routine morning shift at the Pinnacle Creek mine. While he was working on a 20 ton shuttle car that had been plagued by sticking pedals, the massive machine suddenly surged forward. David and his coworker, Brett Gibson, were pinned against the coal wall. David’s head remained up, but the impact crushed his chest and dragged him along the block of coal. Despite his own horrific injuries, including collapsed lungs and a shattered arm, David’s first responder instincts kicked in as he tried to guide his coworkers through CPR for Brett. Tragically, Brett did not survive the accident.
“He caught the impact in his head and I caught the impact from right here around my clavicles all the way down to my pelvis so whenever it pinched us between it then it proceeded to drag us.”
Taking Flight After the Fall
The road to recovery was long and painful, involving nearly 22 surgeries and years of both physical and mental therapy. David faced the reality of being a disabled young man and even grappled with the early days of the opioid crisis while managing chronic pain. However, he refused to let his story end in the mines. He pushed himself through nursing school and eventually achieved the goal he had set for himself decades earlier. Today, David serves as a flight nurse, soaring over the same Appalachian mountains where he once fought for every breath. His story is a reminder that even after the darkest moments, it is possible to find a way back to the light.
“I have completed what I set out to do over 20 years ago.”
Want to hear the full, heart-pounding account of David’s survival and his message for other first responders? You won’t want to miss the original interview.
