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The beautiful landscape of the north unit in Theodore Roosevelt
National Park was a site to behold. The weather was perfect, the
campfire was crackling and the s’mores were sweet. Fourth of July
weekend had officially kicked off for the group of close-knit
outdoor enthusiasts.
Sharing marshmallows and laughs, the
group of seven Airmen from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota had
not a care in the world. Nothing could ruin their much-needed break
from the grind of military life. They were free as birds. Then
suddenly, they were pulled out of their euphoric states when they
heard a scream for help.
“By the third time hearing this guy,
we knew it was serious,” said Senior Airman Christopher Velazquez,
705th Munitions Squadron support technician. “Once we realized there
was an actual person being sincere who needed help, we just ran. I
had a good idea of where it was coming from because I had camped
there before.”
The group tore down the dirt road toward the
man’s pleading cries. Flashes of jumbled words flooded their heads.
Help. Bleeding. Attack.
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July 1, 2017- From Left: Senior Airmen Christopher Velazquez,
Justin Valentine, Jake Nixon, Airmen 1st Class Kayla Loftis, Hannah
and Allie Staffen (Airman 1st Class Logan Oldenburg not pictured)
... helped rescue a man from a bison attack during a camping trip in
Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s North Unit, ND. The group
assessed the man’s injuries and called for help, all while the bison
loomed in the area. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Apryl Hall)
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“I heard ‘blood’ and ‘attack’ so I took my
concealed-carry weapon out instantly,” Velazquez said. “I
felt like I could protect myself and instantly became
worried about protecting this guy’s life too.”
After
an estimated half mile of running, the Airmen found
themselves within 150 feet of the man, when one word caused
them all to stop dead in their tracks.
“I heard the word just as my flashlight
caught its eyes,” Velazquez said. “Bison.”
The
wounded man had climbed up a small rock formation to get
away from the angered animal. That left him stuck, with the
bison waiting below. The Airmen contemplated their options,
knowing they didn’t want to harm the animal, but unsure how
much time the man had before his injuries became
catastrophic.
“I was scared,” Velazquez said. “I was
thinking about proper use of force. Do I just kill this
animal and suffer all the consequences? I really didn’t want
to, but at the same time this guy is non-stop screaming for
help. I was torn on the right thing to do. I was balancing a
man’s life with a bison’s.”
While the group hastily
discussed what to do, they knew they had to call for help
immediately. That posed another problem.
“I was
starting to stress because I couldn’t find cell phone
service,” said Allie Staffen, 91st Missile Maintenance
Squadron facilities maintenance technician. “I didn’t know
how much time we had, so I thought if I don’t find it soon,
I’ll have to run back to the car and drive to find it.”
The moment Staffen turned to run back to camp, she
caught a signal and immediately dialed 9-1-1.
“It was
the clearest one-bar service I had ever had!” Staffen said.
“I don’t know how it worked, but so thankful it did.”
While Staffen relayed the information to the emergency
operator, relieved she camped there often and was familiar
with the area, the rest of the group did everything they
could think to get the bison to move away from the man. A
group of campers and hikers had also formed, putting even
more pressure on the situation.
“There was just
chaos,” Velazquez said. “Everyone was yelling, it was
stressful. I tried to stay calm and do the right thing.”
Velazquez decided to fire his weapon into the ground, to
scare the bison away. Instead, the animal started toward the
group. Worried they were its next victims, they all piled
into a nearby car for safety. After a few minutes, the bison
suddenly turned and walked off into the darkness.
The
group shot out of the car and up the rocks to the injured
man. They found a deep gash, almost to the bone, on the back
of his leg. The man was delirious due to a significant
amount of blood loss. Working together, the group applied
pressure and bandaged the wound with a shirt. They picked
the man up and helped him down to the car they had piled in
moments before.
“I felt so relieved when we got him
in that car,” Velazquez said. “Before he was in it, it was
unknown. Are we going to get him in time or are things going
to get worse? My questions were answered right when we got
him in that car.”
Still on the phone with the 911
operator, Staffen explained the man was safely in a car and
on his way to meet the ambulance, which was just pulling
into the park. The man was going to be okay.
“Everyone’s adrenaline was rushing, but we were really
relieved that everything worked out and we were lucky enough
to be in the right place at the right time,” Staffen said.
“I’m really glad I was with a group of Airmen out there
because we all jumped to the call and knew what we had to
do. We had each other’s backs.”
The group returned to
camp and continued to enjoy their holiday weekend. The
campfire had died. The s’mores were cold. But the feeling of
saving a life made them feel freer than the beautiful open
plains of northern North Dakota.
By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Apryl Hall
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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