Reserve Airmen assist, rescue helicopter crash victims Published Feb. 23, 2016 By Senior Airman Jake Eckhardt 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- When a tourist helicopter suddenly fell from the sky into Pearl Harbor and submerged the occupants on board when it flipped over in the water, two of Scott Air Force Base's highly trained medical aircrew members rendered immediate assistance. Capt. Bradley Stone and Senior Airman Samantha Strom, both assigned to the 932nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (Reserve), were touring Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during down time on a deployment Feb. 18 when they heard a crash in the nearby harbor waters. "We saw everyone running, but we really weren't sure what had happened," said Strom. "A lady nearby said it looked like a helicopter had just fell out of the sky." Both of them started running to where the noise had come from and saw the helicopter submerged under 15-20 feet of water. "There were four people above the water," she said. "Everyone was asking how many people were on board. "That's when we discovered that there was still one person missing." That person was a 16-year-old who was still trapped and had to be cut free, according to news reports. Stone said the teen was positioned half way out of the helicopter but that he was tangled in a rope. After what he described was about 10 minutes, Stone and others who were aiding in the rescue were finally able to cut him free. Once to shore, he applied CPR for another 10 minutes before the victim coughed up the water in his lungs. While Stone assisted with the teenager, Strom tended to four others who had suffered injuries. Strom said, "I was holding one of the victims, because he said he had a back injury. "I was asking him if he could feel his feet or wiggle his toes." She also assisted local emergency responders in placing the injured on backboards to be taken to a nearby hospital. "I had no medical experience before joining the Air Force," Strom said. "They definitely train you to act quickly, know what to look for, and at least try to help. "I don't remember thinking at all really; I just reacted." In an interview with local media, Stone's wife, Erica, said he was shaken by the experience, and that he's a person who always looks out for others and wants to help. He is a nurse at a local VA hospital and they have two young children who she said sees him as an example of service. "You can make a difference," she said. "No matter where you are, people are put into positions, and I truly believe Brad was put there because this was happening." "We are proud of our citizen airmen!," said Lt. Col. Kathleen Kent, 932nd AES Commander. "The training they receive from the Air Force in addition to the skills they obtain in the civilian sector make them a valuable resource in a variety of situations." Sadly, the teenager succumbed to his injuries and died four days later. According to news reports, the victim's family decided to donate his organs and, as of Feb. 22, two other family members remained hospitalized but in stable condition.