CANDIA — Firefighters learning how to use the department's new set of air bags last week had to put their knowledge to immediate use, lifting a 450-pound wood stove to free a Manchester man.

“They're one of the many tools in the fire department that you never know when you're going to need,” Fire Chief Dean Young said Wednesday. “All our pagers went off. The call was for a man trapped under a wood stove and he was turning gray. We all look at each other and were like, 'Wow — that's a job for air bags!'”

The crew was able to gently raise the stove and roll it away on a dolly last Thursday.

Johnny Berry, a 50-year-old union carpenter, ended up with three clean breaks below his right knee. He said he feels fortunate the injury wasn't worse.

“If it had bounced any other way it could have killed me — without a doubt,” Berry said. “That piece of equipment was worth whatever they paid for it.”

Berry and girlfriend Charlene Harris may have contributed to the $4,300 raised for the air bags at fundraising summer cruise nights at which Harris is a regular with her 1969 Mustang.

“It's a small world,” Berry said. “I'm certainly glad that she contributed.”

Berry had surgery on the leg the next day, when doctors inserted a titanium rod to reset the bone pieces so they can heal.

The stove was in the second floor of a house across the street from Harris. The owner had told her she could have the stove. Berry and a friend had strapped the stove on a dolly when the accident happened. Berry ended up pinned in a corner of a stair landing, where he sat for about 20 minutes waiting for help.

“Everything was going well. All the planets lined up just right, things took a wild turn and here I am,” Berry said.

Berry had no idea his rescuers were coming from an auto salvage yard in Candia where Young and his volunteer crew were training with the new air bags, lifting old cars.

“Those guys did a real good job,” Berry said. “The guys were completely professional.”

- - - - - - - -

Doug Alden may be reached at dalden@unionleader.com.