A Lopez woman and Oregon man sustained injuries last week after attempting to dislodge a boat that came ashore on Lopez Island.

When the 42-foot boat was blown into Swift’s Bay on Oct. 3 and grounded near his home, David Wallace called the owner, his uncle Bob Graves. The uncle drove up the next day from his home in Eugene, Ore. and immediately attempted to push the boat into deeper waters. Between a catch line anchored in the bay, and running the engine, he was gaining progress, said David, but moving the 16-ton cement boat was no easy task.

“I was trying to assist with my power boat, but it was like a bath tub toy pulling a ship,” David said.

When the cooling water intake became full of seaweed, the boat’s engine had to be shut down. At the same time, the tide was receding and the boat was broadside – parallel to the shore.

Graves set up another catch line, but the tide was still too low. So on Friday morning, at 1 a.m., when a higher tide appeared, Graves decided to start digging a channel in hopes of pushing the boat out.

“I couldn’t let him do it by himself so I went out too,” David said. “And Carole [his wife] wanted to help. I told her she should stay in bed, but she said she could at least hold a flashlight.”

David recalls that they all started digging in the wet sand that was covered with seaweed. Carole and Graves were digging near the bow, when all of a sudden the boat rolled over onto them. David said he is not sure what caused the shift. The two opposing catch lines’ anchors could have shifted in the sand, he said.

Carole was caught under the boat, her back and legs practically closed together. Graves’ hips were crushed by the boat. Wallace called 911 and went to work freeing his uncle and wife. He dug the sand under Graves, who was eventually able to pull himself out of the trap. As gently as he could, David also dug at the sand beneath Carole and pulled her out.

Richard Tetu, a neighbor and volunteer firefighter, was first on the scene followed by Lopez Island Fire and EMS.

“Everyone did an awesome job,” David said.

Graves is now looking at a full recovery from injuries to his pelvis. And after initially fearing that Carole would be paralyzed because of her injuries, David said there have been some amazing occurrences. Carole has damage to her spinal nerves, but has some limited movement from the hip down.

“She will probably be wheel-chair bound for the rest of her life, but she has movement,” said David.

Her friend Tammy Pal, said the range of movement and feeling in Carole’s lower body is random. She has movement in her hip flexors, she can move her whole legs and feel hot and cold on her knees, but her glutes are numb and she can’t move her feet.

“When she first came out of surgery the doctor said nothing,” Pal said. “So now that we have something it is a big deal.”

Carole is already in physical and occupational therapy. The staff calls her “Powerhouse Wallace,” because of her strength and determination.

“She is strong mentally and physically, refusing to let in any negative thoughts come in,” Pal said. “And she is trusting in God.”

An account has been set up at Islanders Bank in Carole Wallace’s name to help provide medical and logistical expenses.

To leave a message for Wallace, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolewallace.