Two Morgan County soldiers are among a group that rescued a civilian during a medical emergency on Aug. 14.
MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. — Four Alabama National Guard soldiers — two from Morgan County — saved a civilian’s life during a medical emergency in Poland this week.
The incident occurred at a rest area near Skwierzyna, where members of the 214th Military Police Company had stopped for lunch while traveling to a training center. When a civilian man suddenly collapsed outside the restaurant, the soldiers sprung into action.
Among the heroes were Morgan County residents Sgt. Justin Fagan and Staff Sgt. Jacob Roberts, along with 2nd Lt. Indiana Rhodes from Lanett and Sgt. 1st Class Alicia Haggins from Notasulga.
Fagan quickly assessed the man’s condition, finding a barely detectable pulse and no response to stimuli.
“His pulse was really faint,” Fagan explained. “He didn’t respond to a sternum rub so I started chest compressions.”
He applied CPR while his teammates controlled the scene.
Haggins used a translation app to communicate with the man’s distraught wife, learning he had a history of heart problems. Meanwhile, Roberts and Rhodes assisted with continuous chest compressions until Polish emergency medical services arrived.
When paramedics requested help maintaining CPR while awaiting a medevac helicopter, Fagan and Roberts continued rotating compressions with first responders. Their efforts helped stabilize the man’s vital signs before his helicopter evacuation to a nearby hospital.
“The biggest concern is making sure he stays alive,” Fagan said. “The most important thing is doing the humane thing to another human.”
The soldiers will receive formal recognition for their actions.
Information included in this report first appeared in an article by Capt. Misael Saldivar distributed by the Defense Department.