LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
(Editor's Note: This story is part of an ongoing series highlighting Service members with exceptional experiences throughout their military careers.)
It was a warm evening, and the sun had not yet set below the horizon as a car idled at the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Kiln Creek Parkway in Yorktown, Va., May 2.
Inside, the driver: Staff Sgt. Luis Ortiz, 633rd Inpatient Operations Squadron NCO in charge of the birthing center, waited patiently for the light to turn green.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a car rolling slowly toward the intersection, its path blocked by another vehicle. Suddenly, the two cars collided.
"It wasn't a hard impact," Ortiz said, recalling the events of that night. "I saw people running over, and instantly thought I should get out and help."
As Ortiz ran to the crash he noticed the driver of the struck vehicle was uninjured. However, the other driver, later identified as Gustavo Diaz, a native of Newport News, Va., was completely unresponsive. With Diaz still in the car, Ortiz began the life-saving procedures he learned as medic in the Air Force.
"I checked for breathing and pulse," Ortiz said, using his hands to reenact the steps he took. "He didn't have a pulse, so I started CPR."
Ortiz said Diaz gasped for air after the first rescue breath. Thinking he was choking, Ortiz rolled Diaz on his side, but he remained unconscious and without a pulse. Enlisting the assistance of another bystander, Ortiz freed Diaz from the car before continuing CPR.
For nearly ten minutes, Ortiz repeated the steps to revive Diaz. However, nothing seemed to work. It was then that Deputy Eric Hart, of the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office, arrived on scene.
"I saw Sergeant Ortiz and another civilian attempting lifesaving measures," Hart said. "It was definitely a life-threatening situation, so I deployed the AED."
The automated external defibrillator is a device designed to shock the heart into a normal rhythm. Hart placed the pads on the skin of Diaz's chest and side, charged the machine and pressed the button.
Nothing.
Both Hart and Ortiz continued CPR as the AED charged again. When it was ready, Hart pressed the button, hoping for the best.
"It was kind of hard to explain," Diaz later said from his room at Riverside Regional Hospital, where he is currently recuperating. "I don't remember a lot. One moment I'm driving down the road, the next I'm being revived by Deputy Hart and Sergeant Ortiz."
Diaz said as quickly as he had woken up, he lost consciousness again. The next time he woke up was in the hospital.
"They said it was something like a heart attack," Diaz said. "My heart just went out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital wondering how I got there."
Looking back, Diaz said he owes his life to Ortiz and Hart.
"Thank God," he said, choking up. "They were angels. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now. They saved my life - both of them."
Ortiz smiled when he thought about the man whose life he saved.
"It's a great feeling," Ortiz said. "Someone's dad or brother is alive because of something I did. I was exhausted and very nervous through the whole thing. But, after it was over, I had this great sense of achievement. It made me really proud to be a medic."
He laughed, leaning back in his chair, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Office training days will never be the same for me," Ortiz said. "You never know when it might happen for real."
The fact that Ortiz was able to instantly recall his medical training, and use it when the moment counted comes as a blessing to Diaz.
"I'm alive," said Diaz. "It makes me appreciate things more. Sometimes, when we get so tied up in life, we take things for granted. This has been a blessing in disguise for me. I won't take anything for granted anymore."
Diaz paused again as he attempted to compose himself. His brush with death taught him to slow down, and think about what is truly important in life. It also made him extremely thankful for the Air Force staff sergeant who decided to not drive away from the scene of an accident, but to get out and see if he could help.
"It showed me there are still good people left in the world."