Kunsan Airmen save life of local Korean

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Three Kunsan Airmen from the 8th Operations Group provided first aid to a local Korean national July 12 in Gunsan City, Republic of Korea, after the local Korean's vehicle hydroplaned and struck a pole head-on.

Master Sgt. Robert Parks and staff sergeants Donald Weber and Sandy Bates were headed back to Kunsan Air Base, ROK, when they noticed a vehicle traveling past them at a high rate of speed.

"We had taken a wrong turn and decided to drive a little further up, when we noticed a vehicle fly past us going about 120 to 130 kph," said Sergeant Weber.

"All I could think about when we saw the car fly past was who speeds like this in the pouring rain?" said Sergeant Parks.

As the speeding vehicle went to take a turn it hydroplaned, lost control and slammed into the signal light pole.

"Immediately everything just clicked into place," said Sergeant Weber.

"Once I saw him hit the pole I immediately moved into action," said Sergeant Parks. "I pulled the car over ahead of him and we jumped out. I went to the passenger side while Sergeant Weber was on the driver's side."

"When I arrived at the driver's side I saw him not wearing a seat belt, slumped over into the passenger's side," said Sergeant Weber. "When I first checked his pulse I didn't feel one."

Sergeant Weber yelled to Sergeant Parks that the victim had no pulse.

"It's when I started yelling 'Mister' loudly in Korean that I saw him start to breath shallowly," said Sergeant Weber.

Sergeant Parks opened the passenger side and immediately noticed a large pool of blood on the seat and floor board.

"I yelled out to everyone, I've got a puddle of blood over here," said Sergeant Parks. "After looking at the victim I noticed that he was still bleeding from a large cut on his neck. Sergeant Bates took off her jacket and gave that to me to stop the bleeding."

"It looked as if when he hit the pole, he went through the windshield and then came back through again," said Sergeant Weber.

While this was going on, Sergeant Bates had flagged down a passing Korean motorist and asked them to call an ambulance.

Once the ambulance arrived on the scene, the three Airmen assisted medical personnel in getting the victim out of the vehicle safely and into the ambulance.

"Once he was in the ambulance we borrowed a phone and called the command post to see if there was anything else we should do," said Sergeant Parks. "When they told us it was clear for us to leave we got back into our vehicle and headed back ... It was a very quiet ride back to base."

The next day, the Airmen checked with the local hospital to find that the man was alive and in stable condition.

"When we first arrived at the scene, we would have never guessed that this man was going to make it," said Sergeant Weber. "We all did what we needed to do that day, what we were trained to do. It just kicked in."