Photo By Master Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla | Staff Sgt. Michael Ellis, photojournalist with the 59th Medical Wing, was the first to...... read more read more
I’ve seen all 13 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and I work at a hospital, but besides my mandatory basic life support training, I’m not a medic. I’ve dressed up in scrubs during countless surgical procedures, but as a photojournalist my job has always been simply to take photos during the operation.
It was New Year’s Eve, and as I was driving, I noticed what appeared to be a taillight in a ditch. I pulled over and walked toward the 20-foot drop to investigate. It was car. I couldn’t tell if there was someone inside, so I jumped down to get a closer look. The airbags had deployed, making it hard to see inside the cabin.
I opened the door and saw an 80-year-old woman trapped inside. I yelled uphill, asking Airman 1st Class Barbara Able to call 9-1-1. I reached over, put one hand on the brake pedal, grabbed the gearshift to put the car in park, and then turned off the engine. The airbags had pinned her head to the side of the vehicle. I asked her a few questions and assessed her injuries. She was struggling to breathe so I took a knife and tore the airbag. I stabilized her neck and kept her calm by reassuring her that everything would be all right.
Thankfully, an EMS crew arrived only a matter of minutes after I’d pulled over. The woman thanked me for stopping to help. During the whole ordeal I never stopped to think about me not being a medic or how it wasn’t my job to help her. I’m just glad I happened to glance and notice a tiny light coming from the ditch. Now, someone’s grandmother, mother and friend can continue to create more memories with her family in 2017.
| Date Taken: | 12.31.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.06.2017 17:09 |
| Story ID: | 219470 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, My Story: New Year’s Eve night, by TSgt Michael Ellis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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