Went To The Aid Of Spectators Injured In The Accident

When Jimmy Leeward's P-51 went down at Reno September 17th, one of the people in the crowd was Air Force Lt. Col Ryan Osteroos, an instructor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Osteroos, a test pilot, had attended the race with 15 students in his flight test techniques course who at the time of the accident were talking to race crews.

The Desert News reports that Osteroos had taken his seat in the grandstands, and saw the accident happen about 200 feet in front of him. He recalled dodging pieces of debris, and then rushed into the crowd to render first aid and direct ambulance crews.

His triage and first aid training helped him identify some who could not be helped, and how to assist those he could with makeshift bandages and tourniquets to keep them alive until paramedics arrived. He also directed the medical personnel to their assigned patients, and the students transported other medical personnel and patrol the perimeter.

For his efforts, the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross plans to award Lt. Col. Osteroos with its Military Hero award on March 8th. Osteroos said he plans to get more medical training, but has also been talking with his mother, a therapist in Evergreen, CO, about his experiences, which he described to the paper as "awful." (Photo provided by the U.S. Air Force Academy)

FMI: www.denver-redcross.org