Airman protects woman from explosion

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Louis Vega Jr
  • 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  A 944th Fighter Wing Airman put his training and experience to work and provided medical assistance during a vehicle accident earlier this year.

Two men saw a burning car on the side of the road with a woman inside. The car had struck a power line and caught on fire just moments before. As good Samaritans, they stopped and pulled the woman trapped out. That was right before Tech. Sgt.  Thomas Navarro, 944th Medical Squadron medical technician, saw the burning car on his way home from dinner on that Friday night.

Navarro, a registered nurse in his civilian career, pulled over to see if he could help and noticed the woman lying on the ground close to the vehicle.

He quickly took control of the situation and jumped into action and assessed the woman from head-to-toe for injuries and took note that she had no obvious injuries but was in and out of consciousness.

Taking no chances, he stabilized the patient in an improvised c-spine. However, flames from the car continued to grow, so he decided to move the patient further away from the car. The surrounding area was wet and muddy because of recent rains. While moving the woman through the mud, a large explosion occurred, luckily, inflicting no further injuries.

Once he relocated her, he began to reassess the patient, again looking for any signs of trauma.

"The woman remained responsive, but with a notable decrease in her level of consciousness," said Navarro. "She was able to tell me that no other passengers were in the vehicle."

After a short time he decided to move the patient once again even further from the burning vehicle in fear of another explosion. His instincts and quick thinking were lifesaving because a second explosion occurred, this time, completely engulfing the car in flames.

After moving the woman further from the burning vehicle Navarro noticed an improvement in her level of consciousness.

"When Emergency Medical Services arrived I stayed with the patient and assisted them in securing her to a backboard and placed an actual c-spine device on her," said Navarro.

To ensure she was properly taken care of, he helped rescuers carry the patient through the mud to an awaiting gurney and ambulance before he left the scene and continued home.

Navarro has been a 944th FW Reservist with the medical squadron for 11 years.