Location Boy Falls 50 Feet 1975 - Sewer Cistern Expansion

  

Boy Falls 50 Feet In Cistern 1975

Boy falls 50 feet in cistern

BY TOM SUK DES MOINES REGISTER 1975 PHOTO BY CARL VOSS

Boy falls 50 feet BY TOM SUK DES MOINES REGISTER 1975 PHOTO BY CARL VOSS

After a 50 - foot fall

Jack Quick, jr., 10 is tended by a fireman after being lifted from a 50 - foot - deep concrete storm cistern into which he had fallen.  At right is young Quick's father, Jack Quick of 519 E. Livingston Ave.  At left is an aunt, Evelyn Stoneberan.  Young Quick reportedly was watching youths ride motorcycles on the south side of the levee near S.E. fourth Street when he apparently fell into the bunker. 

A 10 year old boy survived a 50 - foot fall  down a concrete storm cistern that was lined with jagged pieces of reinforcing metal Saturday afternoon.  Jack Quick jr., the son of Jack Quick sr., of 519 E. Livingston Ave. and Colleen Quick of 207 E. Twenty fifth St., was undergoing surgery for a severely cut right leg early today at Broadlawns Polk County Hospital.  Firemen said the boys leg was cut from the ankle to the thigh by one of the numerous metal pieces lining the structure, which somehow missing it's protective grating.  The incident occurred at S.E. Forth St. and the Des Moines River at a river levee.  Young Quick was watching motorcyclist in the area when he fell into the 50 - foot pit.  Fireman Jim Klier. 40 was lowered into the pit by rope to rescue the youth.  The was about six inches of muck on the bottom of the cistern, which probably cushioned the boy's fall.  Klier said it was fortunate the boy was not slashed to death by the metal pieces as he fell.  "Lucky they didn't hit the boy's neck.  They were like knives," he said.  As Klier was being lowered into the pit, the injured called out " Don't fall on me. " Klier  said.  " That little kid had a lot of grit.  But of course he was scared.  When I got to him he said he was hurting bad and wanted to get out.  I told him not to worry, that we would get him out quick. "  The fireman put the child in a metal basket that was lowered into the cistern and was hauled to the surface by other firemen.  The basket kept getting stuck on the metal rods, which Klier said were about two to three feet apart, and he had to keep freeing it.  Authorities credited the alertness of the motorcyclists with saving the boy life by finding him quickly. The men noticed the boy, and then suddenly didn't see him on the levee any more, so they went over to investigate.

A MOMENT TO GIVE THANKS

I would like to thank Jim Klier along with all his fellow firefighters at Fire Station No.6 http://www.dmgov.org/Departments/Fire/Pages/history.aspx#h1867 and to all rescue personal that came to my rescue and saved my life on that day in 1975 a day that forever changed my life leading me to the person I am today and I want to thank Broadlawns Medical Center http://www.broadlawns.org/ for saving my life and my leg.  Also I would like to thank the DES MOINES REGISTER for reporting my story.  And last but no least to all firefighters and rescue personal past and present.  Proud American USA

Me 1976