The first people to respond were just going about their business, but chose to stop and help me pull all five boys from the van, talk to my husband while he waited to be cut out of the van, and try and keep all of us calm.
Next came a stream of California Highway Patrol and Lake County Sheriff's deputies, paramedics, fire department personnel, the helicopter personnel (who airlifted my 12-year-old), hospital staff at Sutter Lakeside, St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake and UC Davis Medical Center and many more I know I am forgetting.
There wasn't a moment my boys didn't have someone trying to comfort them and see to their injuries. At Sutter, each child was given a special stuffed animal donated by the local Lions Club to keep, which they held for comfort when I was busy with staff or making phone calls and other arrangements and couldn't be with them.
We could never thank you all enough for the things each one of you did to help insure the safety of my family. I feel so very blessed tonight that though we are covered in bruises and bumps and in a cast (my husband Bryan broke his foot), we are all home safe tonight.
How easily we take for granted when we arrive somewhere safe and sound and without injury or incident. We will never forget you Lake County, and UC Davis, for all you have done to help us.
Lisa Voyles, her husband Bryan and their children are from Herald.
