Real life story I’m about to share with you guys right here. Having some sort of medical training, even basic as applying a belt around a shot limb can save someones life. Never, ever go to the range without medical supplies and a idea of what you’re gonna do if something happens. You have no clue what can happen or when.
I was at a outdoor range in the country where these civil war and cowboy reenactors would frequent. Every once in a while I would see a guy in a cowboy boots, a big ole straw hat, tight jeans, and a leather gun belt with those fancy ammo sockets around it there practicing. Most days it was pretty uneventful stuff. He’s just practice drawing, and using his palm or whatever to put a round down range while aiming from his side as fast as he could. He had pretty good skills and you could tell this was something he enjoyed greatly.
Well one time I’m there and he is there with a group of people, he was doing his twirling thing to draw and then holster his gun. Real fancy stuff I guess if this is your thing. Well I always assumed he practiced with empty guns because that seems like the common sense thing to do, and this guy never displayed any reason for me to doubt him. Well long story made medium here, he drew his firearm, and managed to discharge a round right in to his upper thigh area. This was the first gun shot wound victim I have ever seen (and only one thankfully) and blood shoot everywhere like a fire cracker just went off in this guys thigh.
I froze for a second, looked at him like this really isn’t happening, but it was and then I ran over to him as he buckled to the ground screaming in pain. His friends are standing there like “WTF is going on”. I had to secure his firearm away from him a few feet, and then I took my belt off, wrapped around his leg tight as I could as his friend called 911.
Luckily an ambulance was already in the area responding to a car accident and got there within minutes. Paramedics said I probably saved the guys life by simply tying a belt around his leg. I honestly had no idea what I was doing, or how to do it properly, I was just going by what I saw in television shows.
Since that day, I have taken a course on basic first aid, and some first responder stuff for gun shot wounds I have picked up from a few paramedic and first responder friends. I don’t know a lot, but what I do know can save a life. I highly suggest having some kind of medical supply bag with you at all times, and especially at the range. You never know whos life it may save, it could even be yours.
