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Altus Airmen render aid to accident victim

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Seidl
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. - --  Three Altus Airmen rendered aid at the scene of a major vehcile accident Sept. 8.

Staff Sgt. Adam Hills, Airmen 1st Class Bryan Foley and Arryawana Saldana of the 97th Civil Engineer Squadron were returning to Altus AFB from Lawton, Okla., after reconfiguring two Altus AFB emergency response vehicles for the Mobile Emergency Operations Center.

"The (vehicle) was rolled over on the driver side," Sergeant Hills said. "There were one or two civilian vehicles already there and people on scene were helping the victims out of the truck. There were no emergency services yet on scene."

Ms. Rose Jenkins, 97th MDW, licensed practical nurse, and her 4-year-old grandson were traveling in the rain.

"I had no idea not to use my cruise control in inclement weather, I didn't want to get a ticket, so I put the cruise control on," said Ms. Jenkins
 
"I saw a little puddle on the road, and when I hit that... it felt like the car went air born," she said. "I had no control of it. When I hit the ground I was drifting off into a grassy area. I turned my wheel and the car spun around and shot out to the other side of the highway. I turned it again, it spun back to the middle ... I never thought about the cruise control. It spun me back on the other side, and it started flipping over and skidding," she added.

"I held on and when we stopped we were in the middle of the oncoming lane," she said. "I asked my grandson if he was ok and he said ... 'I'm ok but why are we upside down?'"

The three Airmen stopped immediately and with the aid of two other civilians helped to stabilize the situation.

"These young men and women risked their own lives, and they make me proud," she said. They stopped traffic ... I was pushing on window, pushing on doors ... I began to panic ... and thought how am I going to get out of this car? With the weather conditions, and there was a big truck coming ... I was trying to get out when they came and they got the back open and ... they got me out." 

Airman Saldana began guiding other cars away from the scene to avoid further collisions and keeping the situation from getting worse.

"I directed traffic around the accident," he said. At this time Airman Foley and Sergeant Hills helped the child into Airman Foley's car because it was raining and the child did not have a jacket on." 

After making sure the youngster had no injuries, Airman Foley kept him warm and dry in his car.

"He climbed up into my vehicle and told me he was cold, so I turned on the vehicle, turned on the heat and gave the child my uniform top to try and stay warm," Airman Foley said. "We instructed him to keep still and not fall asleep as he told us his head hurt."

Sergeant Hills helped Ms. Jenkins out of the wrecked car and dressed a wound on her elbow with the response vehicle's first aid kit.

"She was very scared and frazzled as to be expected," he said. "There is nothing like the look I saw on her face when we got her to Airman Foley's car and she saw her grandson there and he was ok."

The in-vehicle subscription-based communications system had already notified emergency medical services of the accident and by the time emergency medical services and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol arrived, the three Airmen had secured the scene and the victims. The Airmen helped load the patients into the ambulance.

"Although it was a very unfortunate accident, I was very happy we just happened to be there," said Sergeant Hills said. "Between all of the emergency management training, self-aid buddy-care training and confidence in our emergency response abilities, I feel Ms. Jenkins and her grandson were both in good and capable hands until help could arrive,"

"Make sure you stay calm because you can get a lot more done if everyone is calm. Also remember your training and never make a promise that you cannot keep," advised Airman Saldana to anyone who might find themselves on the scene of an accident.

"I am very happy she and her grandson are ok, and that I was glad to help." Airman Foley said.

"In my opinion it was a heroic act. Seeing them there in their uniforms, it brought me peace," Ms. Jenkins said. "I work with them every day, I know what they do. They were cool, they were calm... They were, to me, at their finest. They knew what to do and they did it. I was calmer when I saw them. When I saw them I knew everything would be alright."