posted May 28, 2025

Reunion highlights vital role of teamwork in emergency medical services

FRESNO, CA — May 28, 2025 — On Monday, May 19, more than a year after a near-fatal fall in the mountains, Michael Gardner reunited with the SkyLife air medical crew who helped save his life. The reunion took place at the SkyLife base in Fresno during National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, bringing together ground first responders, emergency personnel, and healthcare professionals involved in Gardner’s rescue and recovery. The emotional reunion was a testament to a comprehensive ecosystem of emergency medical response and healthcare working together to save a life.  

“I’m so appreciative of everyone who took the time to get together today and reunite with me and my wife, Michele,” said Gardner.  “Every single one of them—along with others who couldn’t be here—are the reason I’m alive and doing well today.”

On March 16, 2024, Gardner was hiking in Big Creek when one of his off-leash dogs fell down a canyon. As he attempted to rescue the dog, he slipped and plummeted 300 feet down a steep, wet granite rock slope, sustaining more than 25 broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, a punctured lung, fractured spine, multiple facial fractures, and other life-threatening injuries.

“Before Michael went after the dog, he left his small hiking pack, and his phone was in it,” recalled his wife, Michele. “If I hadn’t noticed that, I wouldn’t have been able to call for help quickly because it would have taken over an hour to walk back to our cabin.”

A second 911 call trigged a complex, multi-agency response. California Highway Patrol (CHP), Fresno County Sheriff Air Operations, American Ambulance, Fresno County Search and Rescue, Big Creek Fire, CAL-FIRE, EMS volunteers, and SkyLife air medical crew were dispatched. Miraculously, Gardner was able to signal his location with a fluorescent beanie, spotted across the canyon by rescuers.

After more than five hours of arduous extraction, Gardner was carried out by CAL-FIRE, airlifted by a CHP helicopter, and transferred to SkyLife where SkyLife critical care clinicians Flight Paramedic James Garza and Flight Nurse Eddie Padilla administered a life-saving whole blood transfusion en route to Community Regional Medical Center.

“He was within one to two hours of not making it,” said Padilla. “Thankfully, we had whole blood on board. We had only just started carrying it weeks before.”

Last year, SkyLife and its parent company, Air Methods—the nation’s leading air medical provider—began equipping all California and Nevada aircraft with whole blood. This critical advancement enables trauma clinicians to begin transfusions in flight, improving survival outcomes for patients with severe blood loss.

“You didn’t have to tell me twice who Michael Gardner is. I’ll never forget,” said Dr. David Jeffcoach, Gardner’s physician at Community Regional Medical Center. “Given the extent of his injuries, his recovery is extraordinary. Seeing him here today is truly inspiring.”

Gardner spent two weeks in the ICU followed by skilled nursing and intensive rehabilitation. He returned home within two months—far sooner than expected. Doctors feared lasting brain damage, but a rare arachnoid cyst behind his eye acted as a cushion, protecting his brain from more extensive bleeding and permanent damage.

“This past year has been incredibly difficult, but also deeply humbling,” Gardner said. “Every decision, every person, and every moment mattered. Any small thing done differently, and I wouldn’t be here. And for anyone wondering, CAL-FIRE found Kassie [the dog] on their way out of the canyon. Remarkably, she survived with no injuries except bruising.”

The reunion served as a reminder of the strength of inter-agency coordination and the importance of cutting-edge emergency medical care. It was not just a story of survival, but a celebration of community, courage, and small miracles.

SkyLife teams are trained and certified in advanced pre-hospital care, offering the same level of clinical expertise found in hospital emergency departments. Equipped with industry-leading technology, SkyLife can administer blood, perform advanced airway interventions, monitor cardiac function, manage medications, and provide other life-saving procedures mid-flight. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), SkyLife upholds the highest standards of safety, clinical excellence, and quality assurance, and offers emergency air transport without requiring a membership to avoid a costly bill.