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MacDill Airman renders first-aid, saves Canadian father of four

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Ned T. Johnston
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  During a night drive with his family, Master Sgt. Terry Willis witnessed a truck run over a man crossing the street with his family at an intersection in Cape Canaveral, Florida, January 2, 2015.

What turned from a night of holiday fun with his family, quickly turned into a split-second decision for Willis - standby in shock or save a man's life?

Willis, a Dover, Delaware, native, served three years as an emergency medical technician in New York City before his time in the military and is currently a Self-Aid Buddy Care and CPR instructor at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

"I've been in emergency medical situations more times than I can count," stated Willis. "I didn't have to think twice before I was running from my car to the scene."

By the time Willis had made his way to the scene, there was already a crowd of people standing around.

"The father of the family had been slammed up against the hood of the truck upon impact and was now lying on the ground bloody, not breathing and unresponsive," said Willis.

Willis rushed to the man's side to start helping him however possible.

"It was dark and raining, there was blood and glass everywhere. The family and all the bystanders were panicking. All the things that are impossible to train for in the classroom were happening around me, but all I could think about was saving this man's life," expressed Willis.

Willis was able to bring the man to consciousness before the Cape Canaveral fire and emergency medical services arrived on scene.

"Being prepared for a disaster was the difference between me saving a man's life and being just another bystander in the street that night," explained Willis.

When asked if Willis felt like a hero for his actions that day, he responded with, "People who act will often tell you that they are not heroes. Instead, they will say that they were just prepared to deal with certain extraordinary situations."

Willis is the 927th Maintenance Squadron metals technology fabrication flight section chief.