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OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea – U.S. Airmen and U.S. Soldiers without regard for recognition or personal safety sprang into action after a tour bus overturned, assisting injured passengers until emergency services arrived.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Tessa Land, 6th Intelligence Squadron director of operations, Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Abbott, Seventh Air Force A2 senior enlisted leader, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Alexander Martin, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade fire direction center battle systems manager, Spc. Karan Sharma, and Spc. Arturo Lara, 35th ADA fire direction center battle systems operators, were participating in an off-duty tour of the Korean Demilitarized Zone in Paju, Republic of Korea, June 20, 2026.
The group was on their way to lunch after a morning at the Dora Observatory when their bus paused on a hill road to allow another bus to pass. Passengers watched as the other tour bus struggled to climb the wet road. Moments later, the oncoming vehicle lost control, overturned, and slid backward before coming to rest on the steep incline.
“I watched the bus come up, stop at the top, and then begin barreling down the hill and turn over onto its left side,” said Lara. “At that moment, I just shot up and rushed to the door of our bus. I wasn’t really thinking, it was just a natural reaction. All I knew was that we needed to get people out of the bus.”
Knowing people could be hurt and unsure of the potential the bus would slide further downhill, the group of Airmen and Soldiers immediately jumped into action.
As they approached the vehicle, they could hear the passengers screaming. The primary exit door was inaccessible, trapping 21 civilian passengers inside.
Forced to find an alternative means to enter the vehicle, they discovered part of the windshield was cracked. After bending the still active windshield wipers out of the way and carefully straddling a drainage ditch, they widened the opening enough to climb inside, ignoring cuts they received from the broken glass.
Through a mix of radio blaring and panicked voices within, the group of service members began their assessment of injuries and extracting individuals from the vehicle.
Working their way from the front of the bus toward the back, they assisted the bus driver before helping shocked and disoriented passengers through the windshield. At one point, a father asked responders to help rescue his blind daughter, who was carried out to a rally point that was set up nearby.
“I remember thinking to myself I’m glad I’ve had some baseline training to help understand what to do, because we didn’t know what we were going to see when we got in there,” said Abbott.
Another passenger lay on the ground surrounded among the shattered glass. She expressed that she was having trouble breathing and that she could not move her neck. Recognizing the potential severity of her injuries, Abbott alerted a civilian paramedic and Canadian infantryman with medical training, both tourists who joined the response, to provide advanced first aid.
While the removal of passengers was ongoing, a cordon was established to keep onlookers from getting too close and keep individuals from trying to reenter the bus to retrieve belongings. ROK soldiers also arrived on scene, called emergency services, and assisted with the response.
Eventually, emergency services arrived and assumed control of the scene. The U.S. service members stepped back, allowing first responders to continue caring for the injured.
Martin, who experienced similar situations in his time with law enforcement prior to joining the Army, expressed pride in those who stepped in to help others.
“You can train, but you don’t know what you are going to do until the actual incident happens,” said Martin. “They stepped up and I am proud of what they did.”
Although the responders came from different units, services and even countries, the response reflected a shared commitment to helping others. Airmen, Soldiers, ROK personnel and civilian bystanders worked side by side to stabilize the situation until emergency crews arrived, demonstrating that compassion, preparedness and teamwork can transcend uniforms and nationalities.
For those involved, the rescue was never about recognition. It was about doing what needed to be done in a moment of uncertainty. Their actions demonstrated that the values instilled through training, service before self, readiness and commitment to others, do not end when the duty day is over. Instead, they remain with service members wherever they go, ready to make a difference when it matters most.
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2026 03:43 |
| Story ID: | 571587 |
| Location: | OSAN AIR BASE, GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], KR |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ready beyond the mission: Airmen, Soldiers respond to roadside emergency, by SSgt Tylir Meyer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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