Vacationing N.Y. FF-EMT helps rescue teen from Fla. shark attack

EMS1 | June 17th

Niagara Falls Firefighter Josh Carey and his girlfriend were wrapping up a visit to a Florida beach last Friday when people suddenly began to scream and the gulf waters lapping up to the sand turned red. “It was our first day at the beach, we’d been there about two or three hours,” Carey said. “There were hundreds of people there, on the beach and in the water. And as we were packing up our stuff, I heard these screams and saw people running away from the shoreline.”

Carey said there was also “massive amounts of blood in the water.”

It was one of two separate shark attacks, just 90 minutes and four miles apart, along a stretch of the Gulf shore coastline in Walton County, Florida, near Panama City. The attack took place at the Sandy Shores Court area of Seacrest Beach.

Two girls, 15- and 17-years-old, had been standing in waist-deep water with a group of friends when the shark attacked.

Carey said as he reached the shoreline, people were pulling the more seriously injured 15-year-old victim out of the water. The Falls firefighter, who is also a certified EMT, said the group of rescuers included “a couple of nurses and a couple of doctors and another EMT.”

He said he asked “someone behind me” if they had rope or anything that could be used for a tourniquet.

Carey said the young girl had suffered catastrophic injuries to her hand from her pelvis to her knee on one side of her body and was losing a large amount of blood.

“A lady brought me a strap from a (beverage) cooler and I was able to begin tying it to the wound to stem the bleeding,” Carey said.

As he and the other rescuers continued to apply pressure to the girl’s wounds, people on the beach rushed forward with other items to try to help stop the bleeding.

“Someone gave me like a zip cord that you could tie down,” Carey said.

After what Carey said, “seemed like a long time, but was probably only five or 10 minutes”, local firefighters and EMTs arrived and were able to get the victim into an ambulance and take her to a nearby hospital.

The quick response by Carey and the others on the beach is credited with saving the young girl’s life.

“(Doctors) had to amputate her hand and leg, but she made it. She’s alive,” Carey said.

Shelby-Benona Fire Department Secures STOP THE BLEED® Educational License

Ocean’s Herald Journal | June 24th

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) STOP THE BLEED® (STB) Program is designed to train and equip the public to be able to treat traumatic injuries involving severe bleeding until the first responders arrive.

The Shelby-Benona Fire Department was recently issued a STOP THE BLEED® Educational License, according to a press release from the Fire Department announcing the news.

“We look forward to teaching our community how to STOP THE BLEED®,” said Benjamin White-Elder.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 lives could be saved each year if more people had this basic, straightforward, but vital STOP THE BLEED® training. Key to the program’s success are organizations licensed to teach these courses, as stated in the release.

“We are also announcing that we are now part of the Stop the Bleed Coalition. The Coalition is an IRS approved, tax exempt, 501©3 charitable organization. It was formed with a mandate to support the STOP THE BLEED® campaign and is the only nonprofit organization with that singular purpose,” White-Elder said.

House panel considers Rep. Harris plan to ‘Stop the Bleed,’ save lives

Michigan House Republicans | June 12

State Rep. Mike Harris on Wednesday testified in support of his bipartisan plan to promote training and intervention to prevent blood loss in emergencies.

The House Judiciary Committee is considering House Bills 5741-5743, introduced by Harris, R-Waterford; Rep. Dave Prestin, R-Cedar River; and Rep. Carrie Rheingans, D-Ann Arbor. Harris, a retired police sergeant and former EMT, said liability protections and proper training in bleeding control techniques will give people the knowledge and confidence to save lives.

“When someone is injured and bleeding, others can administer immediate care to stop the bleed until professionals arrive,” Harris said. “Simple training in bleeding control techniques goes a long way in preparing people to apply pressure to open wounds and save lives, and Michigan should incorporate this training into high school health classes alongside existing training on how to perform CPR and use AEDs. When emergencies do arise, bystanders should confidently do their best to provide life-saving aid without fear of legal retaliation. Our bipartisan plan will give people the experience and confidence they need to prevent blood loss and save lives.

Harris’ HB 5741 would require high school health courses to include instruction on how to stop bleeding using tourniquets, bandages, and other equipment in first aid response kits. Under the Michigan Merit Curriculum, students must complete a half-credit in health to graduate high school.

HBs 5742 and 5743 would add bleeding control to the state’s good Samaritan law, which protects individuals from legal liability for attempting to save lives in certain emergencies. The law currently applies to administration of an opioid antagonist, CPR, and other emergency response situations. A person would still be liable for acts and omissions that amount to gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct.

The plan promoting bleeding control echoes the national Stop the Bleed campaign, which raises awareness and facilitates training about bleeding control tactics.

The bills remain under consideration by the committee.

Good Samaritan uses bathing suit and STOP THE BLEED® skills to help save Honolulu stabbing victim

KITV Island News | June 17th

Honolulu police are searching for an attempted murder suspect wanted for a stabbing outside the Keeaumoku Street Walmart over the weekend that left a Walmart employee in critical condition.

"He was probably lying about here. And then at this point I'm like kneeling down. I'm like, 'Sir, I'm going to examine your wound.' I lift up his shirt and take out the bikini top and I just go over him," said Cayenne Dabalos, a Good Samaritan. "I was just like talking to him, putting pressure on the wound and I was saying, 'Just keep breathing.'"

Dabalos did this for about three minutes until police arrived at the scene in front of a bus stop outside Walmart late Saturday night.

"You could tell he was in shock by his face, and he kind of had a blank stare most of the time. While I was applying pressure on him, he shot up like sat up and stuff here," she said. "I think like for a moment he gained a realization of what happened…I just saw there was a steady flow of blood," Dabalos said. "It wasn't like gushing out, but it was like creeping out and then that's when I realize like, oh, he's like persistently losing blood."

She said she learned how to stop the bleed in a high school health class.

"I was thinking like, maybe this man just needs someone to talk to him, to comfort him through this, because that's exactly what I would want from this," she said. "But definitely I was like shaking during this whole interaction like my hands are shaking."

Dabalos, who happened to be passing by after shopping at Walmart, is still shocked by the turn of events.

"What are the odds of someone else knowing what to do at this moment?" she said. "I'm glad I was there to help for sure. And I don't know I don't think I take it as like a heroic act. I think I was just in the right place, and has the right skill set in order to step in and help."

@medhelp.4you

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6.16.24 STOP THE BLEED®

We met many interesting people, the training was held on Father’s Day, and the training was held at the ATO Dnipro Museum, a super atmosphere.

It’s very nice to have an initiative of people who care not only about their safety and skills, but also people with whom they interact with.

@desert_squandron

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Another great set of STOP THE BLEED® classes over the weekend. Special thanks to @pro_eagle for hosting. Where should we go next? If you have a business or an off road group/event that would like to host classes, shoot us a message for more details.

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