A drive home on I-275 turned into a rescue for one Manatee County 911 telecommunicator. On Sunday, Sept. 27, Alex Quintero was heading home when he came upon a crash near mile marker 2. A man in the wreck had suffered a severed hand, and the bleeding was severe. Quintero pulled over and used his belt as a tourniquet, holding the bleeding back until Manatee County EMS and North River Fire District crews arrived and transported the man to a hospital.
What makes this more than a lucky moment is who Quintero is. He works as a 911 telecommunicator and Shift Training Officer for Manatee County, which means his day job is walking people through emergencies over the phone. Off the clock, he relied on that same training in person, with nothing but a belt and a clear head.
The injured man’s condition has not been released, but the outcome could have been far worse without someone who knew what to do. Have you ever taken a bleeding control or tourniquet class? Would you know what to do if it happened in front of you on the Sunshine Skyway or the interstate?
