Photo By Sgt. Sharmain Burch | Master Sgt. Chris Pair, 33, USARCENT telecommunication systems noncommissioned...... read more read more
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SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. - A U.S. Army Central soldier helped save the lives of two teenagers involved in a one-car accident in Sumter, S.C., Feb. 15.
Master Sgt. Chris Pair, 33, a telecommunication systems noncommissioned officer in charge and Camden resident, had just left from taking his dog to the veterinarian and was heading south on Hwy 261 when he noticed a crowd of people and a wrecked truck. The truck, a full-sized Chevrolet pickup, had flipped over and was upside down in the ditch.
"I remember seeing the truck was flipped and just mangled,” Pair said. “I was thinking to myself, I don’t know if anyone could survive this.”
Pair, a 14-year Army veteran, served in several combat operations and is a qualified special operations first responder and combat lifesaver. Pair instinctively grabbed his first aid bag and ran to the overturned truck.
First responder training gives military personnel the ability to aid a comrade who is injured until medical personnel arrive. The training not only covers war-related injuries, but other mishaps, such as auto accidents, as well.
According to a Sumter County Sherriff’s Patrol Division officer, Cpl. Steve Pizzino, “Pair’s quick response helped calm the situation down and reassure the patient and the bystanders that everything was under control which was a huge help because in those types of circumstances, people look for someone to take control, to take action.”
The young men were still in the truck and Pair’s first concern, after noticing oil, gas and water in the culvert, was to get the victims away from the overturned truck.
Pair, through the broken-out windshield, pulled the victims one at a time away from the vehicle.
Once Pair had the two men far enough away he immediately began assessing their injuries.
“I noticed the first guy bit completely through his lip and was bleeding from his mouth and eye,” Pair said. “I immediately grabbed my gloves and began treating his injuries.”
The crowd of people that had been standing around the accident began approaching Pair, asking if they could help.
Pair asked a woman to help him keep one of the victims awake and asked another person to get him fresh water to help clean the wounds.
“As I evaluated the second victim, I could see what looked like a compound fracture on his right arm, so I made a makeshift sling to immobilize the fracture,” Pair said. “Then I noticed a very dark bruise forming on the bridge of his nose and blood coming out of his eye, as I cleaned his eye I could see he was displaying symptoms of shock.”
Pair grabbed his flashlight, shined it into his eyes to ensure his pupils were dilating and continued to talk to him about day to day things to keep him calm and awake until the paramedics arrived.
The paramedics, Cpl. Steve Pizzino and a South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper, arrived about 15 minutes after the crash.
“Pair’s quick actions definitely helped determine a positive outcome,” Pizzino said. “He did what he was trained to do. He stopped; saw what needed to be done and he did it without hesitation.”
Pizzino, a Danville, Va., native and Sumter resident, is a retired Air Force master sergeant and has been with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Department for a little over two years.
“It made me proud to be a veteran when I saw Pair tending to that young man. He is a shining example of what our military men and women are today, well-trained, dedicated and selfless,” Pizzino said.
The paramedics and the officers not only thanked Pair for stabilizing the victims but also mentioned he is a true professional and an asset to the Sumter community.
“I am just glad I was in the right place at the right time with the medical knowledge and leadership skills that the Army has taught me,” Pair said. “It feels good to be able to help out and know that I was able to make a difference in those young men's lives that day. I wish them all the best.”
| Date Taken: | 02.21.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 02.21.2014 18:24 |
| Story ID: | 120990 |
| Location: | SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | DANVILLE, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 220 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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