four years later , after a crane on the platform collapsed , a piece of flying metal debris the size of a basketball nearly took his head off . rick followed the pair across the driveway and out onto the snow-covered desert . i yelled desperately , i had finally found someone . my breathing was ragged from running . i looked at them , one after another . that stopped my signing hand right there . come on ; just use your free hand . he flung her to the ground and turned to look . 