A US Marine and a nurse were the right people at the right place and time to save Florida resident George Wingert's life.

Never imagining they would save an accident victim, the newlyweds from Sandy Hook - Dustin and Cynthia (Todd) Gill - were en route to their honeymoon cruise when their lives intersected with Mr Wingert's

Mr Gill is a staff sergeant and station commander for the US Marine Corps recruiting office in Waterbury. Cynthia Todd, now Cynthia Gill, a nurse at Garner Correctional Institute, and Sgt Gill were married on July 29, in Fairfield. They returned home the following morning to pack for their honeymoon and left that evening, heading for South Carolina to board a cruise for the Bahamas.

"We drove through the night and were almost to the cruise," Ms Gill said, when they came across a man laying on the pavement after a motorcycle crash, on the morning of July 31.

"It was about 10:30 am, and we got off the highway and were on the ramp," said Sgt Gill, when they "encountered dead-stop traffic." He then looked out his window and "noticed the motorcycle, saw a man in the road… I saw a man with an amputated leg cut off at the knee laying on the highway."

Although it was not clear what had happened, Sgt Gill later received a South Carolina Traffic Collision Report form indicating that Mr Wingert had "collided with a tractor trailer," near the town of Bowman, S.C., Sgt Gill said. The report indicates that Mr Wingert, traveling on a Honda motorcycle, and a large truck were traveling in parallel lanes going east on Route 126, when the victim then drifted into the truck, and spilled.

"I ran over there, and asked Cynthia to find me a belt and we tied it as tight as we could until the bleeding stopped," Sgt Gill said. Using a stake, they tightened the belt down.

A Bystander's Account

According to a written account by Shawn J. Thibeau, who was also at the scene and assisting the Gills, "I was traveling … on my way to Charleston, S.C. when I came upon a serious motor vehicle accident that had just happened. I pulled my truck over to the side of the highway and got out. That is when I saw the down motorcycle and the driver laying in the highway." He saw Sgt Gill "kneeling next to the driver." He asked what was needed. Sgt Gill had responded, "Something to make a tourniquet." At that point Mr Thibeau said he "took off my belt and we fashioned a high and tight tourniquet on the patient's left thigh above the injury."

With the belt tied off, Mr Thibeau sought "something to use as a windless on the tourniquet," he said. "Someone handed us a metal bar and we tightened down the tourniquet…"

Sgt Gill said that Mr Wingert was conscious "and we wanted to get as much information as possible to provide to the [paramedics], and Cynthia got a blanket and we covered his leg; we didn't want him to go into shock."

"There were about a dozen people, some had called 911 but no one was doing anything yet" when the Gills reached Mr Wingert. His new wife "was very helpful," he said. As a nurse, she "stayed calm and helped" with the crowd. Some had begun "talking about his leg when we were trying to hide it from him" to avoid his shock. Ms Gills also helped learn from Mr Wingert what information they could.

Emergency medical technicians took roughly 30 minutes to arrive, after which "a helicopter took him off" to a hospital near Bowman, Sgt Gill said.

"This is such an amazing example of selfless service," said Mr Thibeau. Sgt Gill "did not have any gloves and put his own safety aside to save this stranger's life."

A firefighter and retired Army Dustoff crew chief, Mr Thibeau said, "I have witnessed numerous traumatic scenes … as a firefighter, and rarely do you see someone willing to step up and help." The highway is "one of the most dangerous places" where first responders work. According to Mr Thibeau's account, Sgt Gill "stopped in the middle of an interchange of two extremely busy merging highways with no regard to his own safety. He saw a fellow human being in need of help and dove right in. He again put his own self aside … for well over half an hour to save this man's life. In this day in age those acts of heroism are far and few between. Sgt Gill is an amazing man and a testament to the caliber of Marines within the United States Marine Corps."

Feedback Mr Thibeau received from the trauma surgeon that treated the patient stated that on-scene actions saved the patient's life.

Reflecting on the accident, Sgt Gill said, "I feel like five minutes too early and we would have passed…" It turns out that the Gills were "running late for our trip," which saved Mr Wingert.

Despite deployments to Afghanistan as part of his military career, Sgt Gill said, he "never used this training in Afghanistan. We were fortunate. That's why it was crazy to use it in the United States." On his second deployment in Afghanistan, he said, "I was on a security platoon as a machine gunner and a lot of training revolved around battle field wounds - you prepare for it there, but the chances of being in the right place at the right time... I didn't expect that, especially on the way to the honeymoon."

From Ms Gill's point of view, she said it was "happening, and doing it, and I didn't think about it until later." In ten years as a nurse, she said she has "never seen something that traumatic outside of my job."

Shortly after boarding the boat for the cruise, Sgt Gill said, "We sat down at the bar to have a beer …" The accident and rush to assist "was so fast. We sat wondering - what had just happened?"

Without cell service while on the cruise, said Sgt Gill, "The whole time we didn't know if he made it or not," but once off the boat, they heard from a grandson, Daniel Wingert, that Mr Wingert had survived. The news "eased our minds a little bit," Ms Gill said. Before losing service they had passed their numbers on to the hospital, "asking for him or family members to please call."

In a report prepared for Sergeant Connor Hancock, marketing and public affairs, RS Springfield, Mass., Ms Gill sent a report on her husband's behalf, detailing the scene on Interstate 26, eastbound in Bowman.

They had just merged onto I-26 E from I-95 south when they encountered traffic. "Dustin, who was the passenger at the time, spotted a motorcycle in the distance and told me to pull forward a little bit more so he can see and make sure that everything was okay because we did not see any emergency vehicles at the scene." He soon spotted "a body laid out next to a motorcycle. Dustin immediately directed me to pull into the breakdown lane and drive up as far as possible to the accident." Once there, her husband of just a day "jumped out of the car and ran across 2 lanes to the body."

He "assessed the man's injuries including the man's left leg … amputated from the thigh down and bleeding out into the road." Ms Gill said, "At the time, [Mr Wingert] did not know his leg had been amputated and there were a lot of people starting to watch what was going on."

She said, "Dustin asked that people stop recording, taking photos, and remain as quiet as possible so he did not hear about his leg, either." They "continued to talk and comfort the man to ensure he maintained consciousness and continued breathing … After about 10 minutes, Dustin yelled for some one that was watching to make a second call to 911 and get an update on medical services. He also requested another individual get him a sharpie, a pad of paper, and a pen … he used the sharpie to mark the time the tourniquet was applied on his leg for the EMTs and hospital. Minutes later, Dustin began to direct other people to move the cars out from the breakdown lane so EMTs could make their way down as well as clear the opposite side of the accident so a helicopter could land if needed.

"First responders made their way up to the scene... and the EMTs gave an IV of saline. Following the IV, an ambulance arrived with a backboard. Dustin assisted the men in applying a real tourniquet to his upper leg... Dustin stepped away from the injured man and helped pass on the information gathered. Shortly after a helicopter arrived and transported him to Trinity Hospital in South Carolina."

She said, "During the 30-40 minutes that Dustin helped this stranger out, he never hesitated for a second. Dustin selflessly ran across the highway to try and save this man. Dustin also came into blood contact with … covering both arms … It was clear that his actions and ability to act and perform in this situation clearly derive from his training in the Marines and overseas.

"After speaking with the EMTs, the medical staff at Trinity Hospital, and this man's grandson, Dustin, without a doubt, saved this stranger's life."

Only later would the Gills learn that Mr Wingert is 80 years old, from Florida, and a Vietnam Army veteran.

They had later attempted to visit him at the hospital, but he was in surgery, Ms Gill said. Sgt Gill has since been in contact with the family "almost every day checking in to make sure that he is okay."

As of Wednesday morning, September 20, Sgt Gill confirmed that Mr Wingert has been in South Carolina since the accident, and he is "doing better." He has learned that the family is trying to relocate Mr Wingert to a rehab facility "in Florida by his home by the end of next week."

The Gills have spoken with Mr Wingert by phone, and Sgt Gill said he hopes to get to know him in the future. "We want to keep in contact with him and hope to visit him."

"In the next couple of months we want to see him and meet him and stay in touch," he said.

The grandson, Daniel Wingert, said that the Gills "made all the difference" in saving his grandfather, according to Sgt Hancock's report.

His efforts will be rewarded by the US Marine Corps.

Read Sgt Hancock's version of events at dvidshub.net/news/246756/marine-saves-vietnam-veteran-after-motorcycle-accident.