My two sons and I were returning from fishing on the Salmon River and had just left Stanley on Route 75. We saw a large cloud of dust burst in front of us on the side of the road. Being from the East Coast we were not sure if it was a fire or a field crew working on something by the road. When we drove past, my 13-year-old screamed out that it was a car upside down spinning around. I stopped a few hundred yards past the accident and we all three tried our cell phones and a Blackberry to call 911. None of us had cell service.
We were very upset about what to do to help. In my rear-view mirror I saw that two other cars had stopped by the accident and viewed that several men were going towards the car to assist the victims. We decided it was best to race to the Salmon Hatchery down the road to find a land line to call 911. My two sons ran inside to find someone in the office to call in the emergency. As Boy Scouts they were very concerned and wanted to react quickly. The 911 number did not work as the person in the office called four times. They had a scanner though, and my sons heard the report about the flipped vehicle being dispatched.
As there was not much more to do we drove back to Ketchum and passed the ambulance about 20 minutes later driving towards Stanley. We hope and pray the people inside the flipped car are alive and were not hurt. We have no idea tonight of their outcome but pray for their safety.
Later that evening I read the paper's poll question about the Galena cell tower. Today, my sons and I wished our cell phones had connected. I hope for the occupants of the flipped car, that their injuries or lives were not jeopardized by this lack of cell service, as we tried hard to call help as fast as we could.
Eileen, Marlin and Wyatt Circo
Washington, D.C.
