Right place, Right time
What is a hero? A hero, by definition is “a man of distinguished courage or ability; admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” A hero can be a man or woman; young or old; small or large. The brave deeds he performs can be of monumental significance or of the less grandiose style. Either way, acts of bravery are committed every day and deserve recognition regardless of how large or small.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel Thompson, an electrician’s mate stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless is your typical everyday nice guy. He is a polite southern man courtesy of his family upbringing in Pensacola, Fl., and he has a stout southern drawl to compliment his mannerly behavior. He has spent more than four years in the Coast Guard, and continues his work aboard Dauntless, which is homeported in Galveston, Texas.
On Sept. 11, 2010 Thompson became a hero. Thompson would never own up to that title; he is a humble man that never seeks the limelight for attention. But, in the eyes of his girlfriend and her family, his Coast Guard training and ability to quickly react on that 11th day of September, meant adding one more worthy member to the good Samaritan club.
The story begins with Thompson on leave with his girlfriend, taking some time to visit her family in Sarasota, Fl.
“I was going on vacation with my girlfriend to visit her parents. It was our last day of the trip and our plan was to get up and go fishing,” said Thompson.
So, Thompson, his girlfriend and her parents set out on a fishing trip toward the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
“The tide was out. The water was calm and flat. We were catching red fish,” said Thompson.
It was around noon that day in which the family started getting hungry and they all decided it was time for lunch. It was determined that they would pull the boat up to a restaurant called Dry Dock and enjoy one last meal together prior to returning home, said Thompson. What happened after lunch was nothing shy of unexpected.
“We had just finished a really good lunch and we were walking back to the dock. The tide had started to come up which put slack in the line tying the boat to the pier,” said Thompson.
His girlfriend’s father had knelt down on the pier to pull the boat toward the pier so all the passengers could easily embark. Thompson approximated that there was 3-foot gap between the dock and the boat. His girlfriend’s father then took a step down onto the boat and lost his footing.
“The boat is made of fiberglass so it was very slippery. When he took that step down he slipped. His right foot went into the water and his body fell back onto the pier. On his way down, he hit the back left side of his head on the pier. It was a pretty nasty hit,” said Thompson.
As soon as the man hit his head on the pier, his hands went directly to the source of his pain, said Thompson. He said that the father went completely under the water, but the one advantage was the clarity of the water.
“The water was crystal-clear so I could still see him,” said Thompson.
On instinct, Thompson jumped from the pier, to the bow of the boat to the stern of the boat in lightening quick speed. He reached down into the water and pulled the man up out of the water enough so his head was just above water, and that’s when Thompson saw the blood. Thompson noted that the father was conscious but in a little bit of pain and still stunned from what happened.
“Then I grabbed him from his underarms and held him for a second. I grabbed him from his underarms and helped pull him into the boat. He was responsive so he used his physical strength to help pull himself in,” said Thompson.
Once the father was pulled into the boat Thompson was able to gauge his injuries and noticed that the man had been cut on the shoulder and arm by barnacles. He checked his vital signs and didn’t notice any indication of a concussion.
“I applied some ice and pressure to the wound on his head. His eyes weren’t dilated. The bleeding had slowed. I gave him some anti-inflammatory medicine for any pain or discomfort, and determined that it was safe for us to get back on the boat and head home,” said Thompson.
Thompson attributes his Coast Guard training for guiding him in being able to safely and efficiently assist his girlfriend’s father after the incident.
“From the medical side I knew what to look for after a fall because of my Coast Guard training,” said Thompson.
The family returned home shortly after and continued on with rest of the day. Thompson and his girlfriend packed for their flight back to Texas, and her father hit the tennis court.
“He didn’t feel the need to seek medical attention when we got home. At the end of the day he picked up his tennis racket and went to the court,” said Thompson.
At the time of the incident, he couldn’t have been in a better place at a more opportune time.
“I think that has made it a lot more solid for when I ask her father if I can marry his daughter,” Thompson said with a smile.
Story and photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class Renee C. Aiello
Tags: CGC Dauntless, D8, Dauntless, hero, PA2 Renee C. Aiello, PADET Houston, USCG
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