A Marine colonel is alive right now because of the short pondering and medical coaching of a younger corporal who occurred to be close by when the officer’s coronary heart stopped beating.
In an award ceremony Dec. 16, 2022, that officer — Col. Carlos Urbina — offered Cpl. Chase Portello with a Navy Commendation Medal for his lifesaving actions on Nov. 14.
In an interview transcript offered by the Marine Corps, each males described being in a small restaurant on the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia. “I used to be feeling unwell, however I assumed nothing of it,” Urbina stated.
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“I got here to search out out later that I truly went into sudden cardiac arrest,” he added.
That is when Air Power Capt. Jennifer Fields stepped in to supply assist. Seeing a fellow Marine in misery, Portello, who has EMT coaching from his time working with a hearth division, supplied to assist.
When neither might discover a pulse, the younger Marine stated that “we began CPR,” including that they “saved switching on and off from who’s doing compressions and breaths.”
In keeping with his award quotation, the 2 rendered assist for round half-hour till extra assist arrived.
Each service members’ fast pondering meant that Urbina is alive right now. “In keeping with the medical doctors, the truth that CPR was initiated instantly immediately contributed to my survival,” the colonel defined.
After he recovered, Urbina needed to thank everybody who helped save his life.
“It took about 4 visits for me to return to the firehouse to have the ability to personally thank each single one of many first responders that was there,” Urbina stated. A type of firefighters gave him Portello’s identify.
Portello, who’s stationed with Marine Helicopter Squadron One — the unit that’s accountable for transporting the president and vice chairman of the USA — was personally offered his award by the person whose life he saved. He described the second as “a blessing.”
“In my complete expertise, I by no means bought to see somebody I handled after the very fact,” Portello stated.
“It was simply actually cool to see him right here residing, strolling round and together with his household.”
— Konstantin Toropin could be reached at konstantin.toropin@army.com. Observe him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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