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LA firefighter survives life-altering crash
A local firefighter miraculously survived after plummeting down an 800-foot cliff.
LOS ANGELES - The parents and sister of Mario Escobar are heartbroken, traumatized, yet deeply grateful.
In a split second, the El Monte firefighter’s life and his family’s flipped upside down.
What we know:
The 22-year-old’s blue Honda Civic burst into flames after plunging 800-feet down a cliff off Angeles Crest Highway in La Cañada Flintridge earlier this month.
Mario, training for fire season, was on his way to becoming a Hotshot when the tragic accident occurred.
LA Co. Sheriff’s Search and Rescue airlifted Escobar from the canyon to the hospital.
What they're saying:
"They basically tell you that he flatlined, and they brought him back to life is a miracle," his dad said.
"We just got in the car, left. We didn't know where we were going. We just said, Let's just go to general," his mom added.
Escobar fractured his neck, spine and leg, lacerated a major artery and shattered his ankle so severely, the bone was exposed.
Escobar has a long road to recovery.
"Right now, in the process of seeing if he will have to become an amputee."
"My brother's very, very thankful to be alive. It was really, really bad, essentially going down 800 feet off an embankment." his sister Briana said.
The Source: Information for this story came from an interview with Mario Escobar's family.