RICHMOND, VA. -- The Marines finished their one and a half mile hike to the summit, when they were approached by a woman who alerted them of a man on the side of the trail, who had suffered a seizure. They immediately went to help the man - alongside fellow community members - they waited for emergency responders to arrive while providing as much assistance as possible.
Sergeant Hector Perez accredits their quick response to something intangible. “We always talk to them [poolees] about how the Marine Corps is a brotherhood and everybody is very tight-knit in the Marine Corps and everybody that you see wearing the uniform, can automatically assume that person is going to have your back… so when that lady came up to us, to where we were with our poolees… we immediately responded.”
Shannon Walker, a firefighter medic with Bedford County Fire and Rescue said when they arrived, “Of course the Marines automatically offered to help.” So alongside Bedford Fire and Rescue members and local community members, the Marines assisted the man down a 1,500 foot drop in rocky terrain. Once safely down, the man was able to receive medical attention, and is said to be in stable condition.