Coming to the rescue: WG members save life of one of their own

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ebony Nichols
  • 917th Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AFB, La. --  For many total force members, the fitness test can be a pain in the ... neck. But what if the fitness test became a pain in the chest, arms and turned your face several shades of purple? Would other testers or monitors know how to help? 

During the February unit training assembly, a unit member finished his mile-and-a-half run passing the fitness test, and then collapsed on test administrator Master Sgt. Anthony Evans, 917th Maintenance Squadron. 

Several quick thinking people rushed to his side.
 
"I had finished my run just before him and didn't want him to finish alone so I ran with him," said Tech. Sgt. James Pierce, 917 MXS. 

Once he collapsed, "my emergency medical team background kicked in, and my focus was only on him." 

Master Sergeant Richard Cover, 917 MXS, was monitoring members of his squadron during their physical fitness test. 

"I was watching him, because he is a friend of mine," said Sergeant Cover. "I saw him go down and advised them (the monitors) to lay him down and clear his airway. I told them to lay him down, and I did my assessment. He had no pulse and was turning purple." 

Ms. Brenda Lanham, base aerobics instructor, is CPR and automated external defibrillator certified and administered CPR. After her arms got tired Sergeant Pierce, started compressions. 

"He wasn't responsive and I was concerned with his heart," said Sergeant Pierce. "I used the defibrillator to check his vitals," he said. The vital signs were low, so Sergeant Pierce shocked the downed member twice and got very little response. 

Total force members responded to the tasks that the situation called for. While someone retrieved the AED, someone called 911, while others informed the proper officials of the incident. 

Senior Airman Doniel Kidd, 917th Services Flight, was beginning his fitness test run when he "saw a man running with the defibrillator and heard people screaming." 

Airman Kidd was in line to assist in giving him CPR repetitions and helped paramedics get him on the ambulance. 

The fortunate member in question had several people working in the effort to save his life. The Wing heroes may not have known that he was having a heart attack, but they knew his life was in jeopardy.
 
"I was concerned with oxygen once he turned blue so I gave him CPR and he had a pulse and started breathing on his own," said Sergeant Pierce. 

Shortly after the member was stabilized, the base medics arrived and started IVs and an oxygen tank to further stabilize him until the local emergency medial team arrived on the scene. 

Sergeant Pierce was a volunteer firefighter in Stonewall, La., and ironically hadn't been volunteering for a year. 

"I'm glad I was able to remember (what to do) when it counted," said Sergeant Pierce. "My only concern was my friend, and I believe God put me there for a reason."