Fire Captain

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

4/11/2022

Special Service Award (Silver)

On April 11, 2022, around 10:00 a.m., Coulterville Station Engine 4281 was dispatched to a priority one medical aid. While enroute, rain was moderate to heavy with clouds sitting deep in the canyons. Passing through the Scotch Gulch area, Fire Captain Jake Bibby noticed a damaged reflector on the side of the road. He asked his firefighter to look over the cliff as they drove through the canyon to see if there was a vehicle over the side. Due to very poor visibility the firefighter did not see anything. While returning to the station after the call, Captain Bibby parked in the closest turnout and walked the site where he had previously seen the damaged reflector. Even through poor visibility, Captain Bibby was able to see a vehicle approximately 500 feet over the cliff. Captain Bibby descended the steep terrain and found a 51-year-old father and his 11-year-old son who were coming home from a camping trip when they accidentally drove off the cliff. Both father and son were trapped inside the vehicle and needed immediate medical attention due to their injuries. Captain Bibby started first aid after contacting the Mariposa Emergency Command Center to request emergency assistance including a helicopter extraction. However, due to the weather conditions, poor visibility, and safety concerns the helicopter extraction was cancelled. With assistance from several emergency response personnel, both father and son were eventually extracted using low angle rope rescue operational equipment and transported to nearby hospitals by ambulance. In account of location, weather, injuries, and no cellphone service, this could have been a fatal accident, however, Captain Bibby's situational awareness is the reason both father and son were found and rescued. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Silver Medal of Valor to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Fire Captain Jake Bibby for his act of heroism extending above and beyond the normal call of duty.