HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – A U.S. Army Recruiter recently helped save the life of a Hattiesburg man after a crash on a highway.
Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard pulled the trapped Colton Rogers, 22, from twisted metal that was once a functional vehicle. Engard quickly noticed large metal shards had severed Rogers’ left leg from the knee down.
“I was headed to a farewell luncheon and awards ceremony for our recruiting company when I saw the accident,” Engard said. “He was clearly in shock and unaware of what was happening, no aid was on-scene, and I knew I needed to act fast.”
Engard remained calm and relied on his Combat Life Saver Training.
“When I saw him, I knew I had a chance to stay alive, I was bleeding out pretty bad, but I wasn’t going to give up,” Rogers said. “All I could hear other people saying were ‘Oh my God, how are we going to get him out?’”
Engard used his belt as a tourniquet to stop massive blood loss ensuing from Rogers’ injury. While applying the improvised tourniquet, Engard simultaneously contacted 911 himself.
“The paramedics arrived and saw his injury and seemed to be just as stunned…threw me a pair of scissors and asked that I cut off his jeans,” Engard said.
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Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard poses next to Mississippi-native Colton Rogers on-scene of the highway accident after Engard tied proper a torniquet to Rodgers’ injury. (Photo Credit – Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard) -
Mississippi-native Colton Rogers shows his life-threatening injury resulting from a tragic car accident where U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard used his Combat Life Saver Training to mitigate massive blood loss. (Photo Credit – Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard) -
Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard saved the life of 22-year-old, Stone High School graduate, Colton Rogers, when Engard pulled Rodgers from twisted metal that was once a functional vehicle. (Photo Credit – Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard)
The recruiter urged paramedics to drive Rogers to the hospital instead of waiting on the helicopter transport. Rogers was transported to Anderson Regional Medical Center’s Critical Care Unit in Meridian, Mississippi.
Rogers lost four pints of blood and was subject to life support for three days. Currently, officials said Rogers is experiencing a speedy recovery.