Hawai‘i Wildfires responders render first aid to injured tourist

Photo By Edward Rivera | While aiding the Hawaiʻi Wildfire recovery effort, members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team, Jonathan Sobiech, a Critical Incident Stress Management program peer supporter, and Cory Koger, an expert in debris management, came to the aid of an injured individual on March 15th at a hotel. The individual was an elderly man who had sustained a severe head wound and was on blood thinners, resulting in significant blood loss. (USACE photo by Edward Rivera)  

WEST MAUI, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

03.20.2024

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District

While working in support of the Hawai’i Wildfires recovery mission out of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Field Office in Lahaina, March 15, Jonathan Sobiech and Cory Koger had to spring into action and respond to a different kind of emergency.

In the atrium outside the USACE workspace, a frantic hotel staff member ran up to Sobiech and Koger asking for help. The panicked employee was able to explain to the USACE team members that an elderly hotel guest was injured, bleeding and in need of assistance.

“Cory and I determined we need to call 9-1-1 right away which Cory did while I went with the hotel worker,” said Sobiech, a Critical Incident Stress Management program peer supporter.

The two men split up, Koger, a debris subject matter expert, took all the information from the hotel and called 9-1-1 and Sobiech administered first aid to the injured guest.

“Inherent with all events, slips, trips and falls are a major concern,” said Koger. “So, knowing what to do in those situations before they happen or at least having an idea of what you might do is critical.”

There are currently more than 120 USACE team members actively engaged in the Federal Emergency Management Agency assigned Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Mission. Their tasks include debris removal, temporary housing design, and temporary elementary school construction.

A hotel manager informed the team that the injured guest returned from the hospital with several stiches, but no additional complications. They have since returned to their home.

-30-

(USACE story by Edward Rivera)

• Date Taken: 03.20.2024
• Date Posted: 03.20.2024 18:17
• Story ID: 466693
• Location: WEST MAUI, HAWAII, US