Were First On The Scene, Provided Emergency Care For Injured Motorist

Sailors and Marines of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, were first on the scene to a single-vehicle automobile accident in Gary, Indiana, August 13, quickly providing emergency care to an injured motorist.

Seven members of the Blue Angels Maintenance and Support Team were driving from the nearby Gary/Chicago International Airport, where air show performers are staged this weekend for the Chicago Air and Water Show. The Blue Angels came upon a vehicle that appeared to have crashed head-on into the roadside guardrail with its occupant trapped inside the vehicle.
 
Pulling to the side of the road, the Blue Angels rushed to assist the injured motorist. The driver of the vehicle appeared unconscious and the vehicles doors could not be opened. While Marine Sgt. Adrienne Castillo immediately telephoned local emergency services, Navy Aviation Electrician's Mate 1st Class Brian Coffman, Aviation Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Jennifer Piatek, Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 1st Class Zoltan Prestridge, Aviation Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Justin Hanks, and Aviation Electronics Technicians 2nd Class Scott Marquett and George Thiess rushed to assist the injured motorist. Coffman and Thiess, who is a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician of 12 years with the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company in his home state of Maryland, broke the rear passenger window to enter the vehicle and aid its lone occupant while Castillo, Prestridge, Marquett, Hanks, and Piatek directed traffic around the wreck.
 
"Everyone was calm, cool and collected the entire time," said Thiess. "We cleared the debris, put the vehicle in park and turned the engine off. Right after that, I immediately established 'c-spine' [prehospital cervical spinal immobilization] to prevent further injury."
 
The driver regained consciousness while the team members were waiting for emergency services, and Thiess and the others continued to talk to, care for, and calm the injured driver until Gary Fire Department arrived.
 
After Thiess briefed the on-scene medics on what procedures had already been done, the firefighters of Gary Fire Department Engine 8 took over, extracting the driver from the vehicle with hydraulic rescue tools and equipment.
 
The driver is expected to recover from his injuries.

"When you're riding a fire engine or on an emergency call, you know what to expect, but we're here for an air show, so it initially caught me off guard," Thiess said. "Fortunately, training took over and we were able to help out."
 
"George is an outstanding example of the exemplary Marines and Sailors that make up the Blue Angels, and our Navy and Marine Corps," said Blue Angels Commanding Officer and Flight Leader Tom Frosch. "All of the Sailors and Marines involved with this rescue did exactly what they are trained to do. I could not be more proud of each and every one of them."
 
The Blue Angels were in Chicago to perform at the Chicago Air and Water Show.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.navy.mil/local/blueangels