Courtesy Photo | Pfc. Fred Vandenheuvel, a member of the 252nd Engineer Company, 728th Combat...... read more read more
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GREENSBURG, Pa. — A National Guard Soldier with the 252nd Engineer Company, 728th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania National Guard, sprung to the aid of a man who suddenly collapsed on the ground of a Greensburg restaurant he and some fellow Soldiers were dining at Aug. 24.
Pfc. Fred Vandenheuval said, “I was working on Active Duty Operational Support (ADOS) orders at the Westmoreland County Fair where we had a rock wall and recruiting booth set up that day. After the event me and the other Soldiers I was working with went to Dino’s Sports Lounge for dinner and to get to know each other a bit better.”
While there, Vandenheuval said he saw a man unexpectedly fall to the floor.
“At first I wasn’t sure what had happened,” Vandenheuval said. “The man wasn’t moving and I thought he may have had a heart attack.”
But with his background in law enforcement and as a first responder, Vandenheuval knew he could react quickly to provide the appropriate care the man needed.
“Considering my training and experience, and being in the military, I knew people were going to look to me to help. When other people froze up and didn’t know what to do, I knew I could keep the situation calm and, if the man did have a heart attack, do my best to keep him alive until EMS arrived,” he added.
The man was still conscious when Vandenheuval first reached him, complaining of intense chest pain. Vandenheuval was asked to call the man’s wife. “I told his wife where we were, what had happened, and asked if her husband had any prior medical history or heart issues,” he said. “She told me her husband has a history of heart problems, and agreed that I should call an ambulance.”
Vandenheuval called 9-1-1, remaining on the line with paramedics until their arrival.
“The man had a pulse, but over time his heartbeat became more rapid and he was breathing shallowly,” Vandenheuval said. “Eventually he appeared to be losing consciousness and wasn’t responding. I performed a sternal rub and he was unresponsive.”
A sternal rub is a popular technique used to check for consciousness through means of irritation, discomfort and abrasion. While it may sound unpleasant, the technique can help care providers quickly determine the mental and medical status of a patient.
He commented that when paramedics arrived soon after, they had also prepared to perform a sternal rub. “I explained to them that I had already done a rub, and the outcome of it,” Vandenheuval chuckled. “I guess that’s a good sign that my training and instincts were correct.”
As of now Vandenheuval hasn’t heard any updates regarding the man’s current condition, but has received a fair share of praise from the community and his fellow Soldiers.
“At the time, I was just focused on the man who needed my attention, going through steps in my head of what I needed to be checking and doing concerning his well being,” Vandenheuval said. “But afterwards, a couple that was in the restaurant at the time this occurred approached Staff Sgt. Ben Supensky, my supervisor that day, and told him that they didn’t want to interrupt me mid-action, but were very impressed by how I reacted to the situation and wanted to thank me.”
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2016 10:26 |
| Story ID: | 208591 |
| Location: | GREENSBURG, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 506 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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