Rescue 101: Airman with the 129th Rescue Wing Pulls Passenger from Wreckage on US 101

Photo By Senior Airman Kevin Nious | U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Hyunsoo Kim poses for a photo. Kim rescued a driver trapped in his overturned vehicle on September 21, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Courtesy photo)  

CA, UNITED STATES

10.15.2023

Story by Senior Airman Kevin Nious 

129th Rescue Wing

MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif - “Always ready, always there.” It’s a concept drilled into every member of the National Guard from the time they take the oath. The call to serve could come at any moment.

That principle was exemplified on September 21 when U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Hyunsoo Kim was driving home from a training exercise and witnessed an overturned truck in the carpool lane of Highway 101 in Santa Clara, California. As he passed by the accident, Kim noticed the Ford pickup was leaking fluid and emitting smoke with the driver still inside.

“Initially, I’m thinking, ‘I need to get this dude out,’” said Kim, an HH-60 Pave Hawk pilot with the 129th Rescue Squadron. “This guy is visibly injured, he’s agitated, he’s trapped, he can’t get out of his car, it’s flipped on its side and the cabin is rapidly filling with smoke.”

In addition to his military training treating combat casualties, Kim has years of civilian service as an emergency medical technician for local county agencies. This experience taught Kim that taking swift action can save lives.

Still equipped with his safety gear and tools from his training exercise, Kim darted over to the wreckage and began to extract the driver from his truck.

“I say, ‘Hey, put your hoodie on and look down.’ He does that, and then I punched out the window with my multitool,” Kim said.

From there, Kim pulled the 29-year-old construction worker from his vehicle and performed a head to toe trauma assessment, checking for any massive bleeding and additional injuries. Throughout the process, Kim tried to keep the man calm by assuring him he’s safe.

“I know the whole world is crashing down on your shoulders right now, but dude you’re lucky to be alive,” Kim told the driver.

Kim stayed with the patient until first responders with Santa Clara County Fire and California Highway Patrol arrived on scene. The driver suffered a fractured forearm and a cut on his forehead, but fortunately no life threatening injuries.

Commander of the 129th Rescue Squadron, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Tavis McDevitt was proud to hear how his recently commissioned officer was able to use his skills and training to help others away from the battlefield.

“Not only is (Kim) a great combat search and rescue helicopter member, but more importantly, he gets what it takes to be a citizen-Airman” McDevitt said. “What makes us different from active duty is, not only do we train and deploy sometimes, but everyday we are here for the citizens of California.”

“I don’t think anything I did was remarkable or out of the ordinary,” said Kim “I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I’m pretty sure anyone else would have done the same thing.”

• Date Taken: 10.15.2023
• Date Posted: 10.15.2023 19:33
• Story ID: 455829
• Location: CA, US