Spokane Valley Deputies Apply Tourniquets to Stop Severe Bleeding, Potentially Save a Young Man’s Life
Spokane Valley Deputies responded to a Welfare Check of a male who was bleeding heavily from a deep cut to his arm from a broken window. Arriving Deputies observed the male’s friends had placed a belt on the subject’s arm to try and stop what appeared to be a severe arterial bleed which could cost the man his life. Deputies controlled the bleeding by applying two tourniquets and a pressure bandage preventing further loss of blood and potentially saving the young man’s life.
On September 8, 2018 at approximately 11:15 p.m., Spokane Valley Deputies responded to a welfare check in the 700 block on N. McDonald where it was reported an adult male was bleeding badly from a cut to his arm from a broken window.
Deputy Griffin Criswell arrived first and located the male sitting in the parking lot. There was a large amount of blood coming from the wound and on the ground around him. The male’s friends had applied a belt, as a makeshift tourniquet, around the subject’s arm in an attempt to control his bleeding. Seeing this was not working well enough and knowing uncontrolled heavy bleeding posed a serious risk to the young man’s life, Deputy Criswell cinched the belt down as tight as he could as additional Deputies arrived to assist.
Deputy Michael Keys and Deputy Derek McNall arrived to assist. Noticing the male’s injury was still spurting blood from the wound in a consistent heartbeat rhythm as well as the huge amount of blood lost already from what appeared to be atrial bleeding which posed a substantial risk to the man’s life, Deputy Keys applied a tourniquet to the male’s arm, above the wound. A pressure bandage was also applied directly to the wound itself. Deputy McNall found the male’s radial pulse to be strong despite the tourniquet and pressure bandage. With this information, Deputy McNall knew the male was still bleeding heavily and applied a second tourniquet stopping any further blood loss.
Spokane Valley Fire and AMR personnel arrived at the scene and took over primary care of the male. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital for further treatment where he is currently listed in satisfactory condition.
Deputy Mark Gregory
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
Spokane Valley Police Department
Public Information Officer