Photo By Cpl. Zachary Orr | Petty Officer 1st Class Janelle Mattern, the leading petty officer of Medical...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Robin Lopes is a sixth grade teacher at Mokapu Elementary School aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii who has been commuting to work on her bicycle for two months now. On Oct. 15, Lopes said she was arriving at work on a rainy morning around 6:30 a.m. She was turning into the school parking lot when the bike slipped on the wet asphalt.
“I think I made the turn too fast and too sharp so the bike just fell from under me,” Lopes said. “I fell face forward and injured my knee.”
When it happened, the Kailua, Hawaii, native said she was frantic because she thought there was no one around. She was able to get a towel that was in a compartment on her bike to cover up the wound and slow down the bleeding.
A bystander was dropping off his child at school and heard her screaming and crying out for help. He ran over to see what had happened and saw her profusely bleeding so he yelled out to and waved down some Marines that were across the street working out.
“We had just got finished with a good morning run,” said Sgt. Jordan Rodriguez, a cyber network operator with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. “I figured there was an accident so I ran over to see what happened and saw her lying on the ground crying and sobbing.”
Rodriguez, an East Stroudsburg, Pa., native, said he screamed “corpsman” to find someone who could help medically.
Petty Officer 1st Class Janelle Mattern, the leading petty officer of medical logistics Hawaii with Combat Logistic Battalion 3, said she heard some commotion coming from the school but thought it was Marines doing physical training, yet the screaming persisted.
“I heard someone yell ‘corpsman,’” said Mattern, a Pittsburgh, Pa., native. “I looked toward the school across the street and saw her lying down on the ground. I sprinted over and saw a significant amount of blood and she had severe knee lacerations.”
Mattern said there was a first aid kit supplied as four Marines were comforting Lopes. She said the situation was very well under control by the time she got there.
Lopes said she was falling apart on the inside because of all the pain but the Marines helped her out a lot by being there until the ambulance arrived.
“There was one Marine that tightly held my hand the whole time and talked to me to keep me calm,” Lopes said. “They grabbed my phone and called my husband to let him know what had happened.”
Lopes was taken to the Castle Medical Center in Kailua where she learned she tore 60 percent of her ligament and fractured her thumb.
“I’ll always tell people from now on if they were to get hurt, pray that there is a Marine Corps base around because literally a corpsman came and I was surrounded by Marines who were willing to help,” Lopes said.
Chuck Fradley, the principal of Mokapu Elementary School, said the quick action of the service members really saved the day. By the time Fradley was able to make it to the scene it was well in hand.
“I think it’s a perfect example that we’re in an awesome spot,” the Florida native said. “It’s an instance among many where people are looking out for each other and proves the team mentality where we work together.”
Fradley said there is a sense of security being on the base and this accident shows that the school is in good hands.
“The (Marines) are here all the time and are always helping out. I don’t think It could be said enough how much we value the partnership we have with the (Marines).”
Lopes has always been a supporter of the service members she works with and beside, and this instance solidified her feelings.
“I always respected the military but my respect is 100 times higher now because of the help I got from the individuals on that day,” Lopes said. “I don’t know what I would have done if I were out on the street and had the accident.”
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2015 20:41 |
| Story ID: | 181653 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | EAST STROUDSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | KAILUA, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 304 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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