INJURED DOCTOR SAVES COP HIT BY HELICOPTOR ROTOR BLADE

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kelley J. Stewart
  • 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) --  An Air Force doctor who had broken his leg while hiking had to rescue his rescuer after a police officer who responded to his mishap was struck in the head by a helicopter rotor blade.

Maj. (Dr.) Jeremy Kilburn, a 34-year-old critical care pulmonologist assigned to the 99th Medical Operations Squadron at Nellis AFB, had been on vacation with his dog, Virgil, and childhood friend, Dan Grasso, July 5 when the accident occurred near Big Bear Lake in the Shasta Trinity Forest, Calif.

The events of that day began when Kilburn, who attended a fellowship program for critical care and pulmonary medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis while assigned to Air Education and Training Command from 2008-2011, was returning from a hike.

As he neared his tent, he stopped to take in the view, and his dog bumped into him. The collision caused the doctor to lose his footing. As he stepped forward to catch himself, he turned his ankle.

"I looked down and was staring at the bottom of my foot," he said.

Kilburn knew he'd dislocated his ankle and broken his leg, so he sat down, took off his boot and put his foot back into place.

Grasso helped Kilburn to his tent to get him out of the sun, while other campers alerted authorities.

Kilburn couldn't see the rescue helicopter landing, but knew it was on its way when other campers who had gathered at the scene began to cheer.

"They were clapping," the major said because the pilot had done a "brilliant job of landing" in very difficult terrain. But the mood quickly changed when the doctor heard some of the other campers shriek, "Oh my God!" Kilburn didn't understand why until Grasso came running up the hill saying he thought a cop had just been killed.

California Highway Patrol Officer Tony Stanley had been struck in the head by the main rotor blade of the helicopter.

"Get me down there!" Kilburn said.

With Grasso's help, the doctor managed to hobble his way to Stanley's side. Other campers were already applying direct pressure to the officer's head wound. Kilburn assessed the situation and stabilized the patient's airway to assist him with breathing.

Kilburn put a cervical collar on Stanley and told the other campers how to place him on a backboard.

While another camper continued to apply pressure to the wound, Kilburn climbed into the helicopter and monitored Stanley's heart rate and breathing during the flight to Mercy Hospital in Redding, Calif.

When they arrived at the hospital, the medical staff took Stanley to one trauma bay and put the doctor in the one next to him.

Kilburn needed surgery to repair his leg. At press time, Stanley remained hospitalized at Mercy Medical Center. "Dr. Kilburn fought through his own pain to save the life of our officer, highlighting the dedication of our military that put their lives on the line every day for our country," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. "Dr. Kilburn's actions were clearly above and beyond the call of duty."