Services Airman revives crash victim with CPR

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Dan Oliver
  • 932nd Airlift Wing
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill --  Senior Airman Zebedee Williams never imagined his CPR training would help save a life--but it did.

Williams, who is a member of the 932nd Force Support Squadron (Services Flight), said the Self-Aid and Buddy Care training he's received as a reservist, kicked in automatically on Dec. 16, 2012.

"I just reacted and the first-aid and CPR training came back to me in an instant."  SABC training includes basic life support and techniques to help injured persons survive until medical help arrives.

Williams was in his car preparing to start work as a pizza delivery driver, when he saw a late-model sedan smack into his manager's car, which was parked across the street. Williams got out and ran to the scene. He looked inside and saw a heavy-set man in his early 20s slumped over in the driver's seat.

He then ran into the St. Louis pizzeria (where he works) and told his manager what happened. Both men hurried to the crash scene and found all the car doors locked. His manager tried unsuccessfully to break one of the car's windows. Williams would have to smash the car window before he could help the victim.

Williams grabbed a large flashlight from his car and struck the back seat window several times.
The window shattered, Williams reached inside and unlocked the doors. He ran around to the driver's side, opened the door and
saw the victim, who appeared unconscious. 

"He wasn't breathing and his face was blue." 

Williams quickly put the car in park and removed the keys.

He lowered the driver's seat, wedged himself over the victim and began performing CPR. Williams used both
hands and applied vigorous, strong compressions. While he continued applying CPR, Williams told a woman who witnessed the accident, to call emergency 911.
He kept up the compressions, finally the victim coughed, took a deep breath and slowly resumed breathing again. Still, the man's eyes remained closed.
Then, just as the man appeared to recover, he lapsed and stopped breathing. Again, Williams resumed CPR applying more forceful compressions.

"I kept talking to him, hoping he would hear me and respond some way," Williams said. One of Williams' co-workers had
arrived and assisted by checking the victim's pulse. The co-worker told Williams the man's pulse was getting stronger.

Within 10-13 minutes, police and paramedics arrived at the scene and the victim was taken and treated at a nearby hospital.
After giving a statement to St. Louis police, the attending officer told Williams, his actions likely saved the man's life.

"Everything happened so quickly, I asked myself later, 'did I really do that?' "

His civilian supervisor, Jim Walsh, said Williams is one of his best employees.
"I wasn't surprised. He always goes the extra step on the job. And, he showed that day how valuable he is." 

The reservist emphasized it was his Air Force Reserve Self-Aid Buddy Care (SABC) training that made the difference. 

"The CPR training (in SABC) gave me confidence to help in that situation." He also credits the 932nd Medical Squadron instructors who conducted the CPR training for Services personnel last year.

 Williams said the experience is one he won't soon forget. 

"It felt good knowing I helped save a person's life."

Besides his Reserve duties and working part-time, Williams is a full-time college student and plans to be a personal fitness trainer.