Story told by: Nick Gibson

Five Airmen from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, S.C., were honored with prestigious American Red Cross Lifesaving Awards on Oct. 22.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Patterson Young, Spencer Cullen Madison Francis, and Staff Sgts. Hampton Francis and Chrisitan Mayo all exemplify the Red Cross’s mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies

“I’ve never really been honored,” said Young. “It’s just a big honor.”

Young was presented the most prestigious award conferred by the American Red Cross: the Lifesaving Award Certificate of Merit. This award is signed by the President of the United States and is presented to Red Cross-trained individuals who save or sustain a life without a duty to respond.

In mid-May, Young was returning from bible study and saw a severe car accident involving two vehicles. Young says at that moment, his military and Red Cross training kicked in.

“I noticed a lady that was sitting on the road, but she looked like she was struggling; she was crying,” said Young. “My first instinct was to try and help with the situation.”

Despite the severity of the injury, Young stayed calm and created a makeshift sling out of his shirt to stabilize her arm until medical help arrived.

At another event in May, Hampton Francis, Madison Burkhart, and Chrisitan Mayo were helping with security at the Sumter Speedway. Hampton noticed a medical professional running up the bleachers with his medical kit and immediately followed to assist.

“He was having seizures. So myself and the medical team carried him on our shoulders out of the stands,” said Francis. “In that time frame, he had approximately three to four more seizures.”

Francis said his training from the Red Cross and the military helped him evaluate the man until more medical help arrived.

“When I saw him go down, I immediately knew to monitor his airways and make sure he wasn’t throwing up or anything like that,” said Francis. “We put him in the recovery position so he wouldn’t hurt himself.”

In May, Spencer Cullen put his lifesaving skills to use after observing someone choking at the Shaw Air Force Base Exchange food court.

“He scared me. I saw this guy get up and he bent forward,” said Cullen. “One of his friends asked was he was choking and he didn’t respond.”

Cullen swiftly performed the Heimlich maneuver. The individual recovered quickly without issue, and no additional medical care was needed.

During an emergency, every second counts until medical help arrives. Learning first aid, CPR, and how to use an AED can give you the confidence to act fast and help save lives. If you know someone who has helped save or sustain a life, nominate them for a Red Cross National Lifesaving Award at redcross.org/LifesavingAwards.

On average, more than 6.5 million people a year receive Red Cross training in first aid, water safety and other skills that help save lives. For over a century, we’ve trained people in first aid and other lifesaving skills — and we continue to address today’s emerging needs. Sign up to take a class a RedCross.org/takeaclass.