McConnell pilot stabilizes girl after accident

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kristine Dreyer
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. (AFPN) --  A KC-135 Stratotanker instructor pilot medically assisted a young girl after she was hit by a car, potentially saving her life.

As Capt. Kevin Thomas, of the 349th Air Refueling Squadron, drove home the evening of July 28, he saw a car stopped in the westbound lane of a city road in Wichita, Kan. When he came closer to the stopped car, he realized there was a motionless person lying on the ground.

He immediately switched lanes, made a U-turn to park his car and got out to assist.

“On the sidewalk, I saw a young girl who was about 6 to 9 years old, and she was unconscious,” Captain Thomas said.

While many people may not know what to do in a situation like this, Captain Thomas did. Before joining the Air Force, he worked as an emergency medical technician at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.

“As I approached, no one appeared to be in charge,” Captain Thomas said. “So, I announced myself as a former EMT and asked if I could provide help.”

After no objections, Captain Thomas moved into action and used his EMT knowledge to assess the victim while the driver reported the condition of the girl to 911.

“My first concern was her airway, breathing and circulation,” Captain Thomas said.

After confirming the victim was breathing and had a viable airway, Captain Thomas began the next step with a C-Spine immobilization.

“I basically held the cervical spine still to prevent neck injury,” he said. “After you assess the victim, that is the first thing you want to do.”

After a few minutes, a crowd began to form.

“A bystander told me the young girl’s name, and I told him to go get her mom,” Captain Thomas said.

Captain Thomas asked if anyone saw what had happened. A couple of boys said she had chased a loose ball into the street. Captain Thomas then instructed someone to get a sheet of paper and write down vital signs as he dictated them.

Shortly after, the mother and another relative of the girl came out of the house. Captain Thomas worked to keep everyone calm and instructed the relatives to softly talk to the girl.

“I wanted the young girl to see a familiar face when she woke up, to help her remain calm,” he said.

With familiar voices calling her name, the girl regained consciousness.

“As she woke up, I calmly explained who I was, and that I was trying to help her,” Captain Thomas said. “She was waking slowly and was starting to get more afraid as time went on.”

To avoid aggravating any existing injuries, Captain Thomas instructed two men to gently hold the young girl’s arms and legs in place.

Minutes after the girl awoke, two firetrucks arrived on the scene. As the emergency crews assessed the situation, Captain Thomas gave them a brief overview of his actions. After Captain Thomas surrendered C-Spine immobilization to the firefighters, the ambulance arrived and took the girl to the emergency room.

“The entire incident, from the time I arrived until the ambulance took her away, was probably 10 minutes,” Captain Thomas said.

The girl has been released from the hospital.

Captain Thomas’ actions that day did not surprise his superiors.

“Captain Thomas is an outstanding individual, and this further iterates my opinion of him,” said Lt. Col. Joe Tegtmeyer, 349th ARS acting commander. “By using his prior medical experience, he was able to take charge of the situation and stabilize the girl until the ambulance arrived. It is a testament of his character that he would stop to assist in an accident like this.”