Responders Honored By Parish Government
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
Donald Cain can now view his life with a long range perspective and short term gratitude, thanks to the efforts of the eight first responders honored Thursday by St. Landry Parish government officials.
They are the reason, Cain acknowledged, that he is now able to embrace his existence one-day-at-a time after surviving a harrowing several minutes on April 5 when he was heroically pulled from the driver’s seat of his burning vehicle by District 3 firefighters, paramedics, responders and an enterprising parish deputy who arrived at the scene in time to begin saving his life.
Cain didn’t hesitate to describe his emotions following the ceremony after the individuals who responded quickly enough to provide him with a life’s extension, were presented with plaques by parish president Jessie Bellard.
“Oh yes,I’m grateful. “I’m thankful that I’ve also gotten a lot of community support and just the fact that I’m here,” Cain said from his wheelchair, following the brief ceremony held at the Delta Grand Theater.
Presented by Bellard with plaques for their efforts at the scene on U.S. 190 west of Lawtell were assistant chief David Miller, captain Adam Bordelon, captain Shannon Benoit, firefighter Daniel Andrus, recruit Jason Trosclair, St. Landry Parish Sheriff Captain Gisha Palmer, paramedic Mitch Goudeau and first responder Amanda Leday.
Cain admitted to those who attended that he doesn’t remember any of the details that led to the accident or his moments sitting in an igniting vehicle that later began exploding.
“I’m just glad that all of you were there,” said Cain, who graduated from Opelousas High in 1981.
Palmer, a St. Landry Parish Sheriff Department captain, admitted that she first thought the situation was hopelessly tragic, as she parked her vehicle on the side of the road at 10:50 pm and ran to where Cain’s Nissan Sentra was covered in flames.
“The car blew twice and as I came a little closer to it, all I was thinking was maybe I could preserve a vin number. I really didn’t know if anyone was in that car,” Palmer said.
Palmer then moved quickly to her vehicle and returned to the inferno, where she sprayed the Sentra with a fire extinguisher and called her dispatcher to send firefighters and paramedics who she estimates arrived within six or seven minutes.
Bellard, who was at the accident scene along with firefighters, said after endeavoring to douse the fire with water, he witnessed something that he still feels was miraculous.
“I was thinking all along that whoever was in that car is not going to live. As I was grabbing the hoseline with another firefighter, it was then I witnessed something I never thought I would see,” said Bellard.
What Bellard viewed was a haunting image that also shocked him.
“I saw Mr. Cain’s hand coming out of the window. I mean there was no way that anyone in that car was supposed to be alive,” Bellard said.
Bellard and Fire District 3 Chief added that the aid Cain received can be attributed to proper preparation.
“The effort that the people who are here today gave is what they get paid for. To them, it’s not just a check. it is also what they train for,” said Bellard, who previously served as a firefighter.
Seeing Cain alive is still something that still seems almost surreal, said Bellard.
“I really don’t know how to explain it. That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Bellard explained.
Cain recalled that he was first transported to Lafayette General Hospital, but was later moved to Our Lady Of Lourdes, where he received more care.
