Jaws of Life Were Not Used on Tiger Woods
The Claim
Firefighters and paramedics used the “jaws of life” to get Tiger Woods out of his car after a crash.
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Emerging story
American golf legend Tiger Woods was involved in a high-speed single-car rollover crash on February 23rd, 2021, resulting in significant injuries to his right leg, and requiring him to be rescued from his rolled-over SUV. Bleacher Report tweeted that “Firefighters and paramedics used the 'jaws of life' to get Woods out.”
The tweet was shared thousands of times, with many users offering condolences to Tiger and his family, hoping that he is okay.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation found this claim to be fake. Tiger Woods was indeed involved in a single-car crash and sustained significant injuries. According to a statement on Tiger Wood’s Twitter account, “Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopaedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopaedic specialists… Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia.”
However, the Jaws of Life, which are sometimes used to remove trapped victims from crashed vehicles, were not used to free Tiger Woods from his SUV. Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Ron Haralson said in an interview with NBC that “they were able to use hand tools… to assist him from the vehicle. The jaws of life were not needed.”
L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby went into more detail about the tools used to free Tiger Woods from his car, saying, “Earlier it was stated that the Jaws of Life was utilized to extricate the person trapped. It was later determined by our personnel that a Halligan tool, which is used for prying, and an axe was also used to pry the person free from the vehicle.”
