Weston Drake, a 13-year-old from Blockton, Iowa, was driving his tractor when he noticed a four-wheeler overturned.
His neighbor, Pat Kemery, was pinned under it.
Weston's training in the national 'Stop the Bleed' initiative kicked in immediately.
"Since I had that training, when Pat got in the wreck, one thing the paramedics said was always to stay calm and analyze the situation," Weston recalled according to WSMV.
The importance of quick Action
In rural areas like Blockton, emergency medical services often take twice as long to arrive compared to urban settings.
,Pat Kemery emphasized the gravity of the situation, saying,
"I thought, 'If he doesn’t come back around this way, I could very easily die laying here,' because nobody travels up and down that route very often, ever."
A person can bleed to death in as little as three minutes, making Weston's timely intervention crucial.
The 'Stop the Bleed' training lasts about 45 minutes to an hour and includes a presentation, as well as hands-on practice with tourniquets and wound-packing with gauze.
The training may be painful for victims, but as doctors point out, it's better than the alternative. Weston's quick thinking and training undoubtedly saved his neighbor's life, highlighting the importance of such initiatives in rural communities.
A big well done to the 13-year-old hero Weston! - You can watch a news segment featuring him below.
