‘I literally owe my life to them’: 2-13th Aviation Regiment instructors honored for rescue

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz.— Two instructors assigned to 2-13th Aviation Regiment were credited with saving a coworker’s life after he suffered a seizure and cardiac arrest in July.

The incident occurred at the Black Tower complex, where the men were eating lunch with colleagues when they heard unusual noises from a nearby cubicle. Checking on the individual, they found him slumping from his chair, unresponsive and without a pulse.

Wayne Smith, whose last formal CPR training was more than 20 years ago, began chest compressions from memory while shouting for someone to call 911. Staff Sgt. Dakota Wallace, a rescue scuba diver with extensive CPR experience, joined in to assist with rescue breathing.

“We were communicating really effectively,” Wallace said. “He [Smith] was giving compressions, and I was helping with the breathing whenever I was needed.”

The pair worked together, coordinating compressions and breaths while waiting for emergency responders. A Sierra Vista EMS ambulance responded to the scene.

“I thought we’d lost him, actually,” recalled Smith. “They cordoned off the area like a crime scene, and they were still doing chest compressions when they wheeled him out on a gurney.”

The man, Jason Sheets, an Army retiree and instructor with 2-13th Aviation Regiment, survived. He said he has no memory of the event and first woke up in the hospital.

“I literally owe my life to them … It could have very well gone the other way,” Sheets said. “Realizing that it didn’t because of those two gentlemen is why I’m here today.”

Both instructors were recognized by the unit and received the Sentinel of Life Award from the City of Sierra Vista during a City Council meeting, Sept. 10.

Despite the attention, the instructors downplayed the recognition.

“I didn’t do it for any award,” Smith said. “I did it for the person. I’m just glad he’s okay.”

Their advice to others who might face a similar emergency: act immediately.

“Don’t think about it, just act,” Smith said. “Don’t wait and hope that somebody else will act in your place.”

Wallace emphasized teamwork. “You can’t do everything yourself,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to manage what’s going on if you can rely on other people to help you out.”

Sheets said the incident reinforced the value of CPR training.

“It doesn’t take a whole lot to get the training, and it could save somebody’s life,” he said.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.