MUÑIZ AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico Air National Guard Maj. Jesuan Aviles, the wing plans officer with the 156th Wing, helped save the life of a cyclist while on leave in Fort Pierce, Florida.
As he was driving back from the beach with his family, Aviles witnessed a man on an electric bicycle fall and injure his head as he veered to avoid a lamppost. Aviles stopped the car and yelled for neighbors to help.
“I stopped immediately because I was the one closest. I got out of the car, dialed 911, tried to yell at the neighbor that lives there in front of the house where he fell to bring some towels or blankets,” said Aviles. “Just anything to try to stop the bleeding because the guy was unconscious.”
The man was bleeding profusely from a gash on the side of the head. While communicating with 911, the man drifted in and out of consciousness. Aviles tried to keep the man still and applied pressure to his injury until first responders arrived.
The man spent about a week unconscious in the hospital but recovered. He and his family called Aviles to express their gratitude.
“The police department called me because they registered my phone number when I called 911, and they wanted to thank me for helping the guy out because he had been in pretty bad shape,” said Aviles. “He and his family wanted to thank me because they were extremely grateful.”
Aviles said that although those few moments seemed to linger for hours, he felt calm after years of training for such a situation.
“It was gratifying. I was able to help this guy out in his time of need. It was something that came second nature when I was trying to help him,” said Aviles. “The skills that were taught here helped out tremendously in applying the first few steps that needed to happen.”
Aviles advised cyclists to wear their helmets. He also encouraged other service members to use their training when dealing with similar real-life scenarios.
“Just don’t be afraid to react. You’re taught certain skills. Don’t be afraid to use them even when you might not deem them necessary, especially to help someone else out,” said Aviles. “At the end of the day, it will just make you feel better to help someone out.”