A STOP THE BLEED® save covered by WPIX TV Channel 11 News.
We are always looking to spread the word about STOP THE BLEED® saves to our community. These stories are a reminder of why we do what we do: because STOP THE BLEED® training can save lives. Two weeks ago, EMT Matthew Tirschwell used a tourniquet to save the life of a man who was struck by a subway train in Manhattan NYC.
WPIX TV Channel 11 News covered the story:
“NEW YORK (PIX11) – Matthew Tirschwell has carried a medical kit around with him since he became a volunteer EMT in 1992 – but he’s never had to use a tourniquet until last Friday.
Tirschwell was getting off the subway at 86th Street in Manhattan while returning from a trip to Los Angeles when he heard the commotion.
“There are different sounds of commotion, and that one sort of caught my ear differently,” he told PIX11 News on Tuesday.
A man had been struck by a train, and his lower leg was cut off. Tirschwell jumped down to the tracks, put a tourniquet on the man, and waited for the fire department to come.
Firefighters lifted the man off the tracks 15 minutes later – he never would have made it had Tirschwell not come running down the stairs with his suitcases.
“There’s no question. 15 minutes? A person would bleed out within probably 2-4 minutes,” Tirschwell said.
“Seeing [the video] … it’s exactly what I remember happening,” Tirschwell said. “These things you don’t forget.”
Tirschwell, from the Upper East Side, owns an architectural lighting business and a lighting distribution company.
In his free time, he volunteers with Gotham Volunteer EMS and runs a foundation focused on management and operations for volunteer emergency medical services.
Over the years, his medical gear has come in handy for anything from bandaids to Narcan.
“[Emergencies] like that for some strange reason find their way to me,” Tirschwell said. “One of the things you’ll find about many first responders is that we never turn off. Whether we like to or not, there’s always a little engine that’s running somewhere.”
This subway emergency is a reminder for everyday folks to take CPR and STOP THE BLEED® training courses, Tirschwell said. “
Read the full story from WPIX TV Channel 11.
Find information about STOP THE BLEED® training options at the Department of Defense (DoD) Official STOP THE BLEED® Website, or find more information about STOP THE BLEED® training through the Stop The Bleed Coalition here.
