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What would you do?

JaysonF

JaysonF

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 6, 2012
345
3
38
Fernley, NV
I was coming home from work last night when I saw a bunch of cars stopping. I took a right on the street I lived and saw a lump in the road. At first I thought it was a dog, but then for some reason I turned around. I parked in the side of the road and saw that it was a woman. I went to her to give her some help and immediately I thought she was dead. At the time, there was one man on the phone with 911 and about 20 people standing around. I checked her pulse on her wrist, no luck. On the neck, no luck. As I reached to roll her over I heard multiple people shout "don't move her!" The flash of my family (I have twins on the way) and how our legal system is so messed up; I didn't want to spend the right of my life paying this person's family. An awful accident it was, but not my fault. So I comforted the woman and heard the last "ugggh" as she gave up. Another woman ran up and said "I'm medically trained" and then I just walked away. The lady was gone and I passed by a cop. He must've known because he was just standing there. I went home to my wife, smoked a cigarette and went to bed.

Here's the story:
NHP Identifies Woman Killed by Car While Crossing Fernley Street - KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video -

My question is: should I have rolled her over and gave CPR? I realized this would have been almost completely in vain as this woman was hit by a vehicle going 40+ mph and was pretty banged up. However it has bugged me because I feel as though I let the fear of what may have happened to my family overcome the urge to give her CPR. It just seems as though it would be fitting that I would be sued by the victim's family for rolling her over (which they may try to say effectively killed her). Whether or not I won the case, proper lawyer representation would have been an almost insurmountable burden because we don't have a significant savings as is.

I know paramedics, firefighters, police officers and emt's are all backed by the insurance of the company, but me as a citizen, I cannot risk my family's well being. I have heard of the "Good Samaritan laws" but in a circumstance where maybe you shouldn't move the person, couldn't I be found guilt of negligence? I have also heard conflicting thoughts over what to do in a situation like this. CPR would start the circulation, but moving the victim of a massive trauma may sever the spinal cord / stem. I knew emergency services response time would have been quick and any issues caused by circulation would have been minimal. In fact, I was only on the scene about 75 seconds before the police arrived.

About me: I have been CPR certified since 16, marine infantry, combat vet, TCCC qualified, and going to school for nursing. My wife seems freaked out that the fact the lady died doesn't bother me nor the blood on my pants. After being in Afghanistan and seeing all of that; death just isn't as bothersome as the "what if" scenarios.

So what do you think? As a civilian, first responder, military member, father, husband, provider? Am I beating myself up over nothing?

Originally I intended to post this in the military / law enforcement section, but I am hoping to get a variety of opinions from a larger group than a bunch of hard-chargers. I get it and until I found out I was going to be a dad, that was me. However I now have a family that depends on me and I cannot let them down.
 
In this day and age, I find it really difficult to accept that a law will 100% protect me. People have to get lawyers and pay incredible amounts for just defending themselves. This is my dilemma. One person's "Good Samaritan" is a lawyer's "negligent citizen".
 
+1 on the Good Samaritan laws - now would be a good time to check to see if your state has them for the next time. It sure sounds like nothing likely would have made a difference, but it sure sucks to second guess your decisions. I have to say - you had to make a spur of the moment decision - and you trusted your gut feeling to give you the right answer. Don't let your brain mess up what your gut told you was the right way to handle it.
 
I always respond!

In one case a biker with a severed leg, well above the knee, and I had to stop the bleeding or he would have died. The second case was full CPR to an 83 year old gent unconscious from cardiac arrest - at our Canadian fly-in fishing camp. He survived, but complained, with a smile, about the ribs I cracked while doing chest compressions.

I don't listen to by-standers.
 
If you have some training, to the point you can explain the actions you were taking were reasonable, than you should be covered.

If you fail to register a pulse for all intents and purposes the woman is dead. The most critical thing to do is get the oxygen circulating again. The fear those people showed in saying you were harming a dead person was unwarranted.

Don't second guess this stuff. You stopped and you approached the person and you made an effort to help. That puts you 110% above 99% of the passing public. Good job!
 
I had an almost identical experience except that my buddy and I were the only ones there (not counting the poor family in the minivan who hit him and were hysterical). My buddy carefully lifted his head just enough to allow him to breathe (i.e. out of the pool of blood covering his mouth and nose). I sprinted to get a cop who was directing traffic a block away. Honestly, the legal ramifications didn't even occur to me at the time, but I've been in other situations since then where that's been an issue. Unfortunately, the guy ended up in a coma and died a couple of months later, leaving behind a wife and young children. Still makes me sad.
Now my buddy and I have both become doctors, so we might do things a little differently, but I'm quite certain that if you're CPR certified, and you follow the basic principles of CPR, you will not get in trouble. Most of the time, you would remain completely anonymous unless you stick around to make a statement, which I never have.
 
I just had first aid training and there are laws that protect you. I had to use the training 2 days after the class. The usher at the hockey game I was at collapsed. She passed out and turned a chalkey white. I was amazed at how many people just stood there and watched rather than help.
Also remember, dead is dead and you cant brake dead. Try, what's the worse you can do.
 
herofish said:
+1 on the Good Samaritan laws - now would be a good time to check to see if your state has them for the next time. It sure sounds like nothing likely would have made a difference, but it sure sucks to second guess your decisions. I have to say - you had to make a spur of the moment decision - and you trusted your gut feeling to give you the right answer. Don't let your brain mess up what your gut told you was the right way to handle it.
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x2

IMHO, your initial response was the correct one. I, too, am a father (4x over) and realized a long time ago that guiding and protecting my children also involves demonstrating (not just explaining) the values I hope to instill in them. Integrity, compassion, honesty, work ethic, the golden rule... these are all things that they learn by example.

So, to answer the question... I would have done anything in my power to help, consequences be damned. I know the first question my kids would ask, when I explained the situation, would be "Did you try to help her?". I don't think I could look them in the eye and say "No, I was afraid I'd be sued!".

ETA: I hope you don't take my opinion as criticism. Like previously stated, you did more than 99% of most people would and, for that, you should be commended. If I'm ever in the same position as that woman I hope someone stops to help me.
 
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Jason,

Wow, you had a big day. First off, I am proud to call you my friend. You did the right thing. You watched out for your family first, then yourself, and then the victim. That is what they teach us in Search and Rescue. Always protect yourself, then your teammates, then the victim. When you risk yourself, you end up making the rescue even worse, because now there are more victims.

With an impact like that, you have to assume "spinal". Moving her over might have furthered her injuries. So you would have had to have another trained person to protect her spinal while you both roll her onto her back.

You did everything right Marine. It is people like you that make me feel honored to be considered your friend. It is also why I go shooting with you, because I know that you got my back if anything bad happens.

NEVER second guess yourself. There was nothing you could do.
 
The very fact that you're having moral issues over this is testament to your character. Don't beat yourself up over it, use it as a learning experience for the next time you're in a situation like that. And you did do something, you provided her some comfort as she left this world.
 
Respond also. Medical field for 35yrs and have done it before. When help arrives, you leave. But, like stated above, don't beat yourself up over it. She may have had a long battle and never made it also. There are also issues of "if qualified, why didn't you do anything." Not trying to make your feel bad or anything, and yes the law/lawyers are freaked up!! YOU did good bro!!
 
After having stepped up several times, I have come to the conclusion that my personal abilities are not adequate to take over in a serious medical situation. "First do no harm..." may seem like a platitude, but for me to assume such a responsibility would likely be an exercise in pride and arrogance.

Bravo to all who can and do.

Greg
 
You know, I have been putting off recert for my WFR, I think I need to get back in class and do some review - thanks for giving me the motivation I needed !

I can recommend to others as well who want a very strong First Aid taking Wilderness First Responder training - its a solid course with a lot of hands-on. I initially took it because I have 3 sons - and we spend weeks out in the Colorado outback - very far from ER and in places with no cell phone coverage.
 
You did it right, I have stepped in 3 times, pulled 2 ladies out of a crashed and burning car. They were stunned and bloody but survived, I had other motorists get the cops( pre cell phone days) out of town. The other one was a guy crashed so bad I just held his hand until the ambulance and cops came, they had to cut him out of the car. He didn't make it but did squeeze my hand until the bloody froth coming out of every opening in his head quit.

I never gave it a thought to do any differently, but the other guy in my car would not even leave the side of the car to come down to the wreck and kept telling me that we needed to go. I never did ask him to explain himself because I know some people do and some people don't in most anything.

You obviously do.
 
JaysonF, your actions on the scene say volumes about your character. What is ringing loud and clear to me is your reaction after the fact. Yes, I do think you are being hard on yourself. Good people often are. Laying alone on the cold hard pavement in full view of morbid onlookers the last comforting sensation that poor woman may have felt was the reassuring hands of someone caring enough to help. If I should ever be in an unfortunate spot and need assistance I hope someone like you should pass by.
 
First things first, thank you for your service.
Secondly, it sounds like you did the only thing you could really could without any equipment or assistance. There are a million scenarios we could run through about what-ifs, but none of us were there so we Don't know for sure what we would do if we had assessed the situation firsthand.
A trauma patient who arrests on scene has an exceptionally high mortality rate. The fact that she was pulseless when you got to her side and passed before EMS arrives tells me that anything you could or would have done wouldnt have made a bit of difference. Possibly she was concious enough to notice your comforting hand.
The fact that you stopped and
cared enough to attempt to comfort her tells me you will be a fine nurse.
Outside of work I always do what I think needs to be done but never overstep what I am legally allowed to do without a Drs order. I am a nurse and rarely are we attacked in lawsuits because in CO we dont break 6 figures in income. I still carry malpractice insurance Because It is cheap for nurses (I pay less than $100/yr for 3.5M in coverage). I dont like the ENA for much except classes and certifications they offer, but as a member they offer extra coverage as well. This type of insurance is also available for student nurses. We were required to have it when i was in school.
Congrats on the twins.
 
JaysonF said:
In this day and age, I find it really difficult to accept that a law will 100% protect me. People have to get lawyers and pay incredible amounts for just defending themselves. This is my dilemma. One person's "Good Samaritan" is a lawyer's "negligent citizen".
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I understand your skepticism about being protected, but I think that the good samaritan laws have been pretty well proven in the past, so long as you can explain why you did something and why it made sense to you, not necessarily to anyone else. If you rolled a person over and end up breaking something to give them CPR, or help them additionally to better their situation, or break something like a rib while performing CPR the argument is this: It is better to be alive with a broken _________ (fill in the blank), than dead with nothing broken.
 
I am a Firefighter and Emergency Responder. I have advanced medical training through my time in Army Special Forces and continuing with the fire department. Your initial action was correct...check for responsiveness, if unresponsive check for a pulse. No pulse...the person is "dead"...cries from "bystanders" to not move her are irrelevant...she is dead. This is the first thing taught in CPR class...if there is no pulse, do whatever you have to do to begin CPR, no matter what the injury (An exception is applying a tourniquet to an amputated limb before beginning CPR).
 
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I have pulled several people out of the surf in my life time not breathing and filled with water. The most memorable was of a three year old boy. It was winter time beach was deserted I was doing my daily run on the beach and had observed a small child playing by the water some 400 yards ahead. I looked away and back again some 30 seconds later. No kid I see Mom on the beach but no kid. I sped up to a run to where j can see foot prints to the waters edge. No child waves were coming in and other was a foot come up 20 so yards down the beach. Diving in
I grabbed him and brought him ashore limp . I rolled him over and started to vomit water out and coughed. He started crying only then did mom notice him. Hysterically screaming at me for touching her son. I calmly told her it was her lucky day that I pulled her child out of the water and told her to call the paramedics. She realized she almost lost him because she was not paying attension. Before cell phones who had dimes for a call. I went on my way and did hear sirens while completing my run. Death happens quickly it is never a good moment. You did all you could of done. I am still sad at the loss of my brother being there when his heart stopped. Death is hard but part of life.
 
Jayson... given the scenario that you describe this person most likely suffered major internal injuries and would probably have died regardless. As an ER nurse and you becoming a nurse, you and i will see people who will die and you know that there is nothing you can do to stop that... but that does not mean that we stop caring/doing something... Even if that is holding a hand or comforting a family member or friend...

I continue to talk to my deceased pt's when I do post mortem care....

You did the right thing and be comforted that this person did not leave this world alone.....

It sounds like you are well on your way to becoming an excellent nurse.... Looking forward to working alongside you some day in the future..
 
Gnzrme said:
Jayson... given the scenario that you describe this person most likely suffered major internal injuries and would probably have died regardless. As an ER nurse and you becoming a nurse, you and i will see people who will die and you know that there is nothing you can do to stop that... but that does not mean that we stop caring/doing something... Even if that is holding a hand or comforting a family member or friend...

I continue to talk to my deceased pt's when I do post mortem care....

You did the right thing and be comforted that this person did not leave this world alone.....

It sounds like you are well on your way to becoming an excellent nurse.... Looking forward to working alongside you some day in the future..
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Agreed. ^^

Small world, GNZRME we may have actually crossed paths one time or another (used to work for AMR in your area.)


To the OP. You did the right thing, obviously spinal precautions come in to play there but she very likely might not have survived despite your efforts. You have to ensure your safety first and foremost. Dont let it weigh on you or ponder the "what if's" in the situation. Like others have said, the good-samaritin should cover you, but that doesnt cover exposure by not having any PPE. I personally think you did the right thing.

I had a similar situation while at the lake. This guy was going to do the rope swing in the cove where my buddies dock is. Its a good hike up a very steep hill to get to the rope, then you swing out over a 10' or so rock cliff and by the time you let go in the water you are probably 40' in the air. Well the guy lost his grip on the rope before making it past the shoreline, hit head/shoulder first on some rocks and bounced into the water.

My friends dock was probably 75-100 yards away and we saw the whole thing happen, I hopped on one of the jet skis and hauled butt over there. The guy was unconscious, still in the water so I dove in and pulled him to shore, not taking spinal precautions immediately given the situation. I pulled just his upper body onto the sandy shore, he was in rough shape. Several lacerations to his face/head, agonal respirations, weak/thready pulse, etc. By the time I got him onshore my friend had swam over, I told him to help me turn the patient on his side so we could clear the blood out of his airway. When we rolled him I was immobilizing his head for obvious reasons, we got his airway cleared and focused on controlling the bleeding with a beach towel. He started to regain consciousness slightly and was very combative, basically had to force him to keep him from moving.

Long story short, the Ranger, fire dept and medics finally arrived, given my credentials I helped package him up. Wound up flying him out to the closest trauma center where he made a full recovery. 3 broken ribs, a fractured skull, 2 crushed vertebrae and numerous stictches.

Not one time during that whole ordeal did I think about the repercussions. Having worked in the medical field, im not covered by the good samaritan laws, and I was off duty so there was no company backing me. At the time, I wasnt worried about it, I was only worried about doing what comes as second nature to me.
 
What would you do?

NevadaZielmeister said:
And your point Graham?
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I am assuming that people might want a reference to the law they are talking about, and maybe some background information on how it has been applied and/or interpreted in the past.

.... Of course, I could be mistaken.
 
What's your right to duty? Here we MUST at least seek help, if not render aid.

Were it me, what I've have done is felt her over, palpitate certain areas, try to see what she could feel, if she could talk. Maybe try to get a makeshift backboard on her and flip her over so CPR could be administered --I'm sure shit's laying around or in somebody's trunk. Most of those folks say "don't move 'em" because that's what they hear on TV. It's only a concern if there is cervical damage, ie, broken neck or numbness or loss of feeling in extremities.

If bleeding is internal, it's just a wait for the copter. Not much you can do. Just treat shock symptoms the best you can.

I'm CLS trained, I have stepped in a few accidents and rendered aid. I always left when the cops showed up so I didn't have to be some goddamn "angel" which I'm not, when news showed up. I'm just a guy that gives a shit, and since I don't play with fucking phones or film tragedy, I had to find something else to do, like help. I do what I can, and I never, ever tell them they're gonna die or any of that shit, just the opposite in fact "doesn't look so bad, probably feels worse that it really is, help is on the way", etc.

I think in WA there's a law or clause that says you can't be sued for rendering aid to someone in an accident? The lawsuits made it where people would just drive by a dying person for fear of a lawsuit. You need to get that law changed if you have it. It needs to protect the person rendering aid. Here, most folks have to have CPR and first aid just to go to work, so there's no shortage of first aid folks around here, and some like me have full CLS kits on hand. Seldom will someone try to overstep what they know, unless circumstances are dire (nobody's coming, still under threat, etc.).

You know, life can drain in minutes. I saved a guy who shot himself in the temple, through both eyes, and I tackled him down and held a wet compress to his wound until the ambulance got there to drive him two blocks to a waiting copter. I was 14 and it happened in my bedroom. Turned out had he lost just a little bit more blood, he'd have been DOA. Needed multiple transfusions. It was that little bit of aid I rendered that he's still with us, albeit blind and with no sense of smell for life. This poor child had nobody to teach him to firearms safety, and at 14 he shouldn't have had his own pistol anyway.

I wouldn't say you did bad, not at all, and I don't know the laws there, what you could face for rendering aid. Personally, I would have rendered a little more based on my own experience and knowledge, but I certainly would not overstep that and I would only function as stop gap until the paramedics or a doctor or some other medical professional arrived.
 
Jason did this happen in Fernley? If so can you tell me what street it happened on. I moved away from there three years ago.
 
And I would throw in, where is your PPE? having an associate who jumped in and did the right thing, with no PPE, she contracted hepetitus C. My first obligation is safety to myelf and my family. And yes, I have pulled someone out of an overturned car before. But for CPR and immediate response, you have to have PPE as much as anything else. With a child, I don't worry so much, but for an adult on the street?
 
768.13 Good Samaritan Act; immunity from civil liability.—FLORIDA
(1) This act shall be known and cited as the “Good Samaritan Act.”


(2)(a) Any person, including those licensed to practice medicine, who gratuitously and in good faith renders emergency care or treatment either in direct response to emergency situations related to and arising out of a public health emergency declared pursuant to s. 381.00315, a state of emergency which has been declared pursuant to s. 252.36 or at the scene of an emergency outside of a hospital, doctor’s office, or other place having proper medical equipment, without objection of the injured victim or victims thereof, shall not be held liable for any civil damages as a result of such care or treatment or as a result of any act or failure to act in providing or arranging further medical treatment where the person acts as an ordinary reasonably prudent person would have acted under the same or similar circumstances.

This is Florida's law and I have never read it until I saw this but I have helped a few times. One crash was pretty bad, weather was shit on I-10 and I saw dancing lights all over the place. I got to the scene to find an elderly gentlemen sitting against his flipped jeep. The one main difference is about half of his face skin from the forehead to the middle of the nose was hanging down. Lots of blood and he was taking it well. I grabbed my first aid kit threw on the gloves and held his face up and talked to him for about 15 minutes as the crash caused serious problems on the interstate especially with the weather. Everyone makes fun of the guy with a couple of those small cones in his truck but they actually helped. To my suprise no one else was really hurt, and the gentlemen was ok later on. Months later he bought me a wafflehouse breakfast and an oil change much to my suprise.
 
LongRifles said:
I think Chris Titus nailed it on the head when he talked about "The Village".

As a society, we've lost that.
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Chad,

I believe you are right.

Friday night, at our place in the Hill Country, I woke up to hear a helicopter pass low and fast over the house about 0200. We are just a few blacks from the only hospital around for miles, heard the chopper land there, fast idle, then pick up and head straight to San Antonio, where most trauma cases go. I told myself, someone got hurt bad, must have been an alcohol related motor vehicle crash. Not so much, it was a officer related shooting:

SAPD: Suspect rolls vehicle in S.A. after shooting Fredericksburg officer | kens5.com San Antonio

Apparently Officer Durst is going to survive, but with much recovery needed.

What is shocking, and pisses me off to no end, is that several people drove past the down officer, after he was shot, before the assisting county deputy arrived, grabbed him up, threw him in his Yukon and drove him to the emergency room. No one stopped, not a single 911 call reporting an officer laying in the middle of the street, lights flashing, on MAIN STREET no less. Caps intended.

What have we become, that we fear helping someone, obviously in extremis? If this is our conditioned reflex, we are done as a proud nation and defender of liberty and "good".

Yeah I can hear it now, " I was coming home from the bar, and didn't want a DWI", tell you what, if you had helped save a cops life, you think his brother officers would ever write you that ticket? You'd have free lifetime rides home is more likely.

I debated about adding this to this thread, but..... seemed appropriate.
 
MikeeBooshay said:
Chad,

I believe you are right.

Friday night, at our place in the Hill Country, I woke up to hear a helicopter pass low and fast over the house about 0200. We are just a few blacks from the only hospital around for miles, heard the chopper land there, fast idle, then pick up and head straight to San Antonio, where most trauma cases go. I told myself, someone got hurt bad, must have been an alcohol related motor vehicle crash. Not so much, it was a officer related shooting:

SAPD: Suspect rolls vehicle in S.A. after shooting Fredericksburg officer | kens5.com San Antonio

Apparently Officer Durst is going to survive, but with much recovery needed.

What is shocking, and pisses me off to no end, is that several people drove past the down officer, after he was shot, before the assisting county deputy arrived, grabbed him up, threw him in his Yukon and drove him to the emergency room. No one stopped, not a single 911 call reporting an officer laying in the middle of the street, lights flashing, on MAIN STREET no less. Caps intended.

What have we become, that we fear helping someone, obviously in extremis? If this is our conditioned reflex, we are done as a proud nation and defender of liberty and "good".

Yeah I can hear it now, " I was coming home from the bar, and didn't want a DWI", tell you what, if you had helped save a cops life, you think his brother officers would ever write you that ticket? You'd have free lifetime rides home is more likely.

I debated about adding this to this thread, but..... seemed appropriate.
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I can give you one good reason. I remember a story of a couple on their way to an engagement, who stopped on the side of the road in Florida and found a stiff in a ditch. They did the right thing and reported it. Cops got there, impounded their car as possibly the vehicle responsible, detained the couple for a couple of days while the auto was towed to a cop shop and gone over with a fine tooth comb. They were eventually released and went on their way, but missed the engagement etc., not to mention the stress of what they went through. Its not always just selfishness, often it seems, its fear of being implicated. Right or wrong, that's what its become. Were it me, Id go to a neutral phone, call it in, and get the hell out of there.
 
Those who have said "what about PPE" are right. If you think you might ever help out, get some and carry it in your vehicle always. My basic is gloves, glasses, and CPR mask. After years as a jolly volly FF and ER nurse my kit is a bit more complex.
Cspine other spinal precautions should be monitored as best possible, but the trauma classes I have attended/taught, address what to do in a trauma code (pulseless), including many with single rescuer scenarios just like BLS classes. Pulseless pts will not survive without addressing AB and C, whatever order you choose to address them in. We now do CAB now as it has proven most effective.
I am not saying I would have done or thought the same things as the OP. For those who are questioning I will re-state this:
"it sounds like you did the only thing you could really could without any equipment or assistance. There are a million scenarios we could run through about what-ifs, but none of us were there so we Don't know for sure what we would do if we had assessed the situation firsthand."
 
Well she didn't die alone , you gave her her last comfort, nothing more you could do. You are a good man. As above, I also tied off a guys leg after he got T boned on a bike, still have bloody belt, cops just arriving, his buddy missing a few fingers a few missing all tissue,, guy tracked me down a year later and thanked me. His buddy who I came to know through a mutual friend a continent apart died two years to the week later, hit a deer in N California, he died alone. The most deadly thing I do is ride 25-35 k miles a year, including very long distance racing, seen more people get messed up on bikes than anything else , including military, sucks when they are dead on the road, you just hope it was quick .
 
No PPE. I Knew I wasn't going to give her mouth to mouth. I didn't have any protection, and I was going to just do chest compressions until care arrived. It was a spur of the moment thing and I was driving my wife's car. Now, I think my next big purchase is going to be a STOMP bag to throw in my truck.
George Az said:
And I would throw in, where is your PPE? having an associate who jumped in and did the right thing, with no PPE, she contracted hepetitus C. My first obligation is safety to myelf and my family. And yes, I have pulled someone out of an overturned car before. But for CPR and immediate response, you have to have PPE as much as anything else. With a child, I don't worry so much, but for an adult on the street?
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I want to thank everyone sincerely for your responses and advice regarding my experience. I have been finding excuses as to why I am too busy to check this post, and I am glad I finally did. I have taken the time to do some more research on the matter of the good Samaritan laws. I have decided to accumulate the necessary first aid gear and keep that with me. I have plenty of gear at home and on my blow out kit, but I need to keep some in the car.
I am glad I was there. My biggest fear is dying alone and I can imagine that is a fear many others have as well. Further research revealed that she had massive internal bleeding and would not have survived despite my efforts. All in all, I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to be there for her in those final moments.
Once again, thank you all for the wealth of information, the encouragement and the thoughts to build on.
 
Having served as a Combat Lifesaver(CLS) for many years in 4 ranks, I see it as my duty, whether as Soldier or civilian to do what I can to save a life if I am placed in a position where I might be able to. If the event is individual, or more than one participant, the causal individual has the onus in the situation, not me.
2006, my vacation right before OEFVII, Hawaii, Oahu, Waikiki Nadatorium Pier, a young Somaon man of 17 mistimed his jump from pier to water. As it was recognized by four kids directly at the scene(I was up on the beach 45' away), that the young man was not coming up for air, they jumped in and tried to pull him out. I stood up, andlooked for about a second or so, I received a firm Panty 6 foot in my ass with a,"You're a CLS, are you just going to stand there, or DO SOMETHING?" I ran as hard as I could into the water, braced the man's head, and neck in my arms, and we brought him to shore. I told all the others to stand back and began a full body check for injury. I found what I will only describe as gravel in the entire cervical spine under my hands. I turned him in his side to rid his mouth and nose of sand, I then rinsed both out with a water bottle that came from a hand. AS I easily rolled him to his back, a young man began breathing five breaths from his side. I told him stop, and did 14 compressions. We did this for about three minutes before a lifeguard came up. I looked at the lifeguard, and he handed me a bag. We bagged and compressed until I was sweating. When asked if I wanted relief, all I said was no, bag five.
Wen the ambulance arrived and the EMT's took over, I assisted the EMT's to get the man onto the gurney, and gurney to ambulance. I vaguely remember someone in a uniform asking my name and where I was staying, but just kind of walked away in a slight daze. All I could think was,'Damn, I know there was nothing we could do, the guy was dead, so why did we bother...we bothered because it is what we do. No more, no less, we just do'
A few days later, the phone rang at the in laws. It was a newspaper man asking about the Soldier who led the effort to assist the young man. He asked if he could pass my information to the family. We met at a hei e' au nearby. Mother, father, and daughter, all waiting to meet me. The family gave me the hugest Samoan hug a guy could get, and told me,"Thank you for trying. We know from the doctor that he was dead as soon as he hit the water, but that did not stop you from trying. You are family to us. We will remember you for when you come back. When I do go back, I will look for the family. I will never forget them, nor they me, for we are connected through the last minutes of their son's life
 
Let's assume (hypothetically) for a second it was one of my sons, or even myself. If you are competent and have the skills/training, then yes by all means I would want you to help in any way possible. The alternative of a crowd of people standing there watching a loved one die is almost sickening.
 
I watched a news story a couple weeks ago about a person that went down in a doorway of some mini market. It was amazing at how many people stepped over the body. No one said a thing, called 911 or assisted in any way. I will not be that person. I have and will again assist.
 
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