Gamer uses virtual medic training to help save a life

Ridge

Ridge

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Twenty-eight year old Paxton Galvanek was driving home on the I-40, about 25 miles south of Raleigh, NC when he witnessed an SUV lose control a flip over several times. While his wife called 911, he stopped the car and ran over to see if he could help.

Noticing two people in the car, he quickly freed them from the smoking wreckage and pulled them to safety. One of the men had only minor injuries, and Paxton took him away from the wreckage and warned him to stay clear of the smoking vehicle. The other man, however, was not so lucky. Paxton noticed he was bleeding profusely due to several missing fingers, and appeared to be suffering from severe head trauma.

Paxton took him clear of the vehicle, found a towel and kept it pressed against the man's lost fingers, and examined the head injury to determine what he could do to help. He decided the head injury wasn't as serious, so focused on the hand, telling the man to sit down, relax, and lift his hand high above his head. Five minutes later a soldier in plain clothing arrived on the scene and took over, informing Paxton that he had done all the right things and thanks to him the badly injured man wasn't in any immediate danger. With the ambulance on the way, Paxton went back to his car, and continued his drive home.

Some time after the incident, Paxton wrote the people behind America's Army, thanking them for the medical training in the game he had used to possibly save a stranger's life. "I have received no prior medical training and can honestly say that because of the training and presentations within America's Army, I was able to help and possibly save the injured men. As I look back on the events of that day, the training that I received in the America's Army video game keeps coming to mind," he wrote.

"I remember vividly in section four of the game's medic training, during the field medic scenarios, I had to evaluate the situation and place priority on the more critically wounded. In the case of this accident, I evaluated the situation and placed priority on the driver of the car who had missing fingers. I then recalled that in section two of the medic training, I learned about controlled bleeding. I noticed that the wounded man had severe bleeding that he could not control. I used a towel as a dressing and asked the man to hold the towel on his wound and to raise his hand above his head to lessen the blood flow which allowed me to evaluate his other injuries which included a cut on his head."

Said Casey Wardynski, the project director for America's Army, "Paxton is a true hero. We are pleased to have played a role in providing the lifesaving training that he employed so successfully at the scene."

Well done, Mr. Galvanek.
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So he leaned over the guy and held down the F key, Im assuming?
 
Great stuff... but what are the odds a soldier would be the one to pull up in plains clothes? I mean seriously. Did he live near a military base or something?

The story just reeks heavily of military involvement. I mean, aside from the awesomeness of the guys efforts.
 
There is no mention that either is a soldier...he played America's Army, the FPS game...

But yeah, other people are saying this was a planted story...
 
Ridge said:
There is no mention that either is a soldier...he played America's Army, the FPS game...

But yeah, other people are saying this was a planted story...
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Guy that pulled up and took over was a soldier in plain clothes - meaning he was off duty, or somesuch.
 
Where does it say that? Ive read the article 3 times and nowhere do I see him being US Army...
 
Ridge said:
Where does it say that? Ive read the article 3 times and nowhere do I see him being US Army...
Click to expand...

Come on now... :-P

Paxton took him clear of the vehicle, found a towel and kept it pressed against the man's lost fingers, and examined the head injury to determine what he could do to help. He decided the head injury wasn't as serious, so focused on the hand, telling the man to sit down, relax, and lift his hand high above his head. Five minutes later a soldier in plain clothing arrived on the scene and took over, informing Paxton that he had done all the right things and thanks to him the badly injured man wasn't in any immediate danger. With the ambulance on the way, Paxton went back to his car, and continued his drive home.
Click to expand...
 
Pretty sweet, but would have been more impressive if he'd revived him with shock paddles.
 
And even more impressive if he'd fixed the guy's car with just a wrench.
 
I love this doctor!
Cheers Doctor.
mmhpm mhpmmm!
Thanks for the aids!
 
I actually knew how to do those sort of procedures through my parents. Keeping pressure on a cut or severe bruise and holding it above your heart can work for everything from cut hands, stubbed toes or missing digits.
 
Hooray, spreading medical knowlege ftw!
 
I hate America's Army because I can't defeat the rocket launcher training.

God help us all if I ever find myself in a situation requiring my use of a rocket launcher to save someone's life.
 
_Z_Ryuken said:
I hate America's Army because I can't defeat the rocket launcher training.

God help us all if I ever find myself in a situation requiring my use of a rocket launcher to save someone's life.
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i cant finish spec ops training :( , btw guys... i think this is the first ever reported case where FPS has saved a life....
 
"Paxton took him clear of the vehicle, found a towel and kept it pressed against the man's lost fingers..."

Which is around about the time I get a case of the vapours and pass out.
 
Who'd of ever thought an FPS game could save a mans life.
 
...Why isn't basic medical knowledge like putting pressure on a wound taught to you folks in schools? I did a first aid course at school just the basic one and 90% of the bandaging / stopping bleeding is just common sense and you should know it. Also depending on the situation, moving injured people can cause even more problems. There is more than an element of luck involved in this story.

The headline could easily have ended up reading: "Gamer thinks he's a Medic and causes spinal injury"
 
Kyorisu said:
...Why isn't basic medical knowledge like putting pressure on a wound taught to you folks in schools? I did a first aid course at school just the basic one and 90% of the bandaging / stopping bleeding is just common sense and you should know it. Also depending on the situation, moving injured people can cause even more problems. There is more than an element of luck involved in this story.

The headline could easily have ended up reading: "Gamer thinks he's a Medic and causes spinal injury"
Click to expand...

Exactly.

And I always thought First-Aid was always taught in school. I've done it quite literally about 8 times (The basic course). Sucks 'cause I never did get my certificate and hell if I can remember anything from the extra-cirrucular First-Aid class I took.
 
I wonder if the poor guy ever got his fingers re-attached? That would totally suck for me, I'd rather it be my legs.:p Currently, prosthetic limb technology still sucks imo.
 
Come to think of it, I did basic first aid and got a certificate thingy in school... when I was 10. :|
 
Cool, this means I can use my TF2 medic skills in real life.
 
Would he have been so lost without the AA 'training' though?

Common sense dictates that you should help those that need the most help - and applying pressure / raising limbs to restrict bloodflow is common knowledge, is it not??

I've not touched AA or had any medical training and I know this much.
 
You have to go through a tutorial that shows you absolutely nothing about what you're going to do in-game (pressing F) in AA, and then you have to do a test about basic medic knowledge.
 
Lol, I'm glad he didn't get his medic training from TF2.

"Hey man, you're bleeding, I can heal you!"

"Ugh...I'm losing all this blood..."

"Hold on just a second. I'll keep you in sight until I can Uber you, then you'll be invincible!"

"I'm dying..."

"Uber in 30 seconds!"

*dead*
 
lePobz said:
Would he have been so lost without the AA 'training' though?

Common sense dictates that you should help those that need the most help - and applying pressure / raising limbs to restrict bloodflow is common knowledge, is it not??

I've not touched AA or had any medical training and I know this much.
Click to expand...
yeah but unless you actually learn it as practice you're probably not going to be able to maintain your cool in such a situation. it might be logical but it might not be your first response.
 
Well, if playing the video game is what helps me out...
*Pulls out Medigun*

Props to the guy. Always good to see someone helping others.
 
So, it taught him how to apply a field dressing? I, for one, learned all sorts of helpful medical training in the army, like how to decontaminate myself from radiation with handy carbon wipes. And that tourniquets are not intended for the head!

Well, good for him.
 
This also just proves jack's point. Sort of.

(suck it dekkie :p)
 
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