PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE – Maj. Emanuel Diaz, a medical doctor with the 45th Medical Group, attends to patients every day at the clinic at Patrick Air Force Base. As an Air Force doctor who can be deployed to treat battlefield wounds, he is also trained to handle trauma.
But he didn't expect to put that training to use over Labor Day weekend.
Diaz was heading to the airport after visiting family in Atlanta when a vehicle overturned in front of him on Interstate 85.
Inside were seven members of the same family. Five of them were seriously injured in the crash.
The vehicle was "just falling into position" when Diaz stopped, who noted as doctor he was obligated to offer aid.
Diaz, 36, who has been stationed at Patrick since July 2012, saw the family trying to get out of the vehicle with an infant, a mother with a head injury and the father with an obviously broken arm.
"The mother was bleeding profusely from the head," he said. "I got a towel from someone and put pressure on the mom's head. I took control and was going back and forth checking."
Diaz, who is from Puerto Rico, said he did not get much out of the family when he spoke to them. Then the family, still dazed, opened up when he spoke to them in Spanish after he heard them speak.
It was an adrenaline rush tending to the injured until help could arrive.
Diaz said that shortly after he stopped a nurse and other motorists also stopped to help at the accident scene. People brought him towels, wet wipes and other items that were used to help stop bleeding and stabilize the victims until paramedics arrived.
"I was freaking out," Diaz said. "After you're finished you're drained, but we're trained for this. We're military, so we do trauma."
When he got home, Diaz posted on his Facebook page that he had witnessed the accident and how it proved to him the importance of wearing seat belts.
"I was talking about the seat belts," he said. "They are alive because they wore seat belts. It has been proven it still works."
Friends and colleagues responded wanting to know more about how he helped the accident victims.
Lt. Col. Cherie-Ann Mauntel, commander of the 45th Medical Operations Squadron, said Diaz provides compassionate care to all his patients. "I was not at all surprised to hear of his recent efforts; this is not the first time he has stopped to render aid to accident victims. He'd probably just tell you he was doing his job but in fact, he epitomizes our Air Force Core Value of service before self, and we are proud to have him as part of our team."
After paramedics arrived, Diaz quickly continued on the road and made it on time for his flight back to Orlando.
There was no time or opportunity to get contact information from the family, but Diaz still wonders about them.
"It would be nice to meet them at some point and know that they are fine," he said.
