CID Unit Corry Station Instructor Rescues Injured Man at Walmart

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- An instructor at the Center for Information Dominance (CID) Unit Corry Station rescued an injured man Jan. 6.

Chief Cryptologic Technician Collection Joshua Gray, of Ontario, Calif., and his family were shopping at Wal-mart on the west end of Pensacola late Sunday afternoon when he heard a girl scream.

"I looked up and saw her dad, basically pop to attention and fall straight back," Gray said. "I went over to see what was going on. His head was bleeding, and there was a pool of blood under him."

Gray, who reported on board CID Unit Corry Station in late 2010 for instructor duty, received emergency medical training 10 years ago.

He said the man injured his head after falling to the floor and was bleeding profusely.

Gray and another shopper applied pressure to the back of his head to stop the bleeding, and they propped the man up while other customers called for help.

He said the man appeared to have suffered from a seizure, and that he seemed groggy when he regained consciousness.

"He really didn't know what was going on," Gray said. "I told him: 'Stay calm; you hit your head pretty hard.'"

Firefighters from Escambia County Fire Rescue Station 14 at nearby Pleasant Grove responded to the call.

Station 14 "C" Watch Lieutenant Bryan Caro said when his crew arrives at a scene he always expects the worst, but hopes for the best. He was not disappointed when his crew rolled into the store that evening.

The situation was chaotic, he said, but controlled chaos, thanks to the Navy chief who seemed to have the situation under control.

"He initiated first aid and C-spine precautions, and made sure the guy had an airway and didn't bleed to death before we got there, which was paramount," Caro said. "Once we arrived, he stepped aside and let us do our job, which was very cool."

In 2003, Gray received emergency medical technician (EMT) training and became a certified EMT. Inspired by that training, he pursued more medical qualifications culminating recently in his selection for the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP).

"That EMT training, combined with my Navy training, helped me to stay calm and to do what needed to be done," Gray said.

Station 14 firefighter Jeff Rohrer agreed that Gray's appropriate response helped make the situation better.

"He did a great job," Rohrer said. "We just came in and pretty much everything was taken care of."

CID Unit Corry Station Commanding Officer Cmdr. L. Sung said she was not surprised by Gray's immediate response to this situation, as he was recently selected to the MECP.

"His training served him well under this stressful situation, and he did the right thing at the right time," Sung said. "Chief Gray embodies the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment, and I am proud to call him shipmate."

CID is the Navy's Learning Center that leads, manages and delivers Navy and Joint Force training in information operations, information warfare, information technology, cryptology and intelligence.

For more news from Center for Information Dominance, visit www.navy.mil/local/corry/.