My guest just saved someone's life

[muddy]

My current guest, a lovely woman in her early thirties, came home around midnight the night before last. I was still up, and she was shaking and obviously distraught.

She had been at a bar with tables outside, near the beach, that had a hostel upstairs. There were lots of people at the bar, live music, everyone was having a good time.
Then some couple upstairs were out on their balcony sounding like they were really drunk and having a verbal altercation. So everyone’s attention was drawn to that for a few minutes, then went back to talking and enjoying the music. A few minutes later there’s a huge crash from up on that balcony, like glass breaking. Attention turned to that, then it was quiet again.

Then the guy on the balcony starts yelling for help- he’s standing there with tons of blood pouring down his arm. He’d smashed the glass patio door in a fit of rage and gotten all cut up. He then stumbled downstairs, bleeding like crazy, with several large, deep gashes on his upper arm, yelling that he’s dying, someone call 911, then collapses on the sidewalk.

My guest said everyone was just frozen, looking, no one did anything. So she snapped into action, ran over to him, grabbing a napkin and knelt over him, applying pressure to the wounds, but blood just kept pouring out. One other guy came over to help, whipped off his tee shirt and made a tourniquet, and the two of them just tried to staunch the blood flow and she said she kept talking to the injured guy to try to keep him conscious- he kept asking her if he was going to die and she kept assuring him he wasn’t, although she really wasn’t sure- he was losing so much blood. Someone had called 911, but it was 40 minutes til the ambulance showed up and took him away.

My guest was wearing a little summer dress and had been so intent on trying to keep the guy alive that she didn’t realize until the ambulance took him that her arms and legs were covered in his blood, so she went to the bathroom and washed herself, then someone walked her back to my place. Somehow her dress ended up with no blood on it.

We talked for about an hour and a half, I made her a cup of tea, she needed to debrief, she was crying off and on and really traumatized. We checked to make sure she didn’t have any cuts or abrasions on her arms or legs that his blood could have gotten into.

I was worried that she’d be an emotional mess yesterday, but she went out and had a good day and found out today that the guy survived. She said her legs were really sore from kneeling on the sidewalk for 40 minutes, though.

This will be a week-long vacation she’ll never forget.

[jujuba]

Some people are just brilliant and step up while so many others in situations like this , the majority I think, become paralyzed observers seemingly prepared to let another human bleed to death in front of their eyes while finishing their lattes.

I’m pretty sure it’s the same characteristic that’s personified by an individual’s innate sense of personal responsibility vs the blame culture. Luckily for you Muddy, you are priviledged to be hosting an outstanding representative of the former whilst sadly the latter crowd have generally gained ascendancy and we’re all doomed.

I blame their parents.

[jaquo]

How amazing of your guest to react so well @Muddy, and what a good host you are to look after her after such a frightening experience. It’s a great advert for in-home hosting - imagine if the poor girl had simply had to go back to a faceless apartment with no one to talk to her.

[Terryathome]

jaquo said exactly what I was thinking! So glad you were there for her and she was there for the injured guy. Someday all of us in-home hosts should write a book. This experience could be in a chapter called “Dramatic Adventures and Tea” Maybe a Chicken Soup for the Soul book of hosting

[muddy]

When my guest went back to the bar/hostel yesterday to find out if the guy survived, she found out that he actually needed surgery- he had severed arteries, which is why there was so much blood, and they had to take him to 4 different hospitals before finding one that had a surgeon who could perform that surgery. He’s still in the hospital.

She said that somewhere in her mind she was wondering if, since no one else seemed panicked, if she had just overreacted, but finding that out made it clear that if she hadn’t done what she had, the guy probably would have died.
And the people who work there told her they all felt really guilty that they just stood around and didn’t do anything.

She actually talked to the guy’s girlfriend, who just happened to be checking out of the hostel when she came by, and was so drunk that night she hadn’t even realized how serious the injury was. The woman did thank her, but didn’t even ask her name or for an email address. If someone had saved my life or the life of a loved one, I would certainly ask for their contact info so when the injured party was well enough, they could send her a message profusely thanking her, and even sending a gift.

Like @jujuba said, I blame their parents, or at least the way basic manners and appreciation seems to be in short supply these days.

[henry]

@muddy

My current guest, a lovely woman in her early thirties, came home around midnight the night before last. I was still up, and she was shaking and obviously distraught.

She had been at a bar with tables outside, near the beach, that had a hostel upstairs. There were lots of people at the bar, live music, everyone was having a good time.
Then some couple upstairs were out on their balcony sounding like they were really drunk and having a verbal altercation. So everyone’s attention was drawn to that for a few minutes, then went back to talking and enjoying the music. A few minutes later there’s a huge crash from up on that balcony, like glass breaking. Attention turned to that, then it was quiet again.

Then the guy on the balcony starts yelling for help- he’s standing there with tons of blood pouring down his arm. He’d smashed the glass patio door in a fit of rage and gotten all cut up. He then stumbled downstairs, bleeding like crazy, with several large, deep gashes on his upper arm, yelling that he’s dying, someone call 911, then collapses on the sidewalk.

My guest said everyone was just frozen, looking, no one did anything. So she snapped into action, ran over to him, grabbing a napkin and knelt over him, applying pressure to the wounds, but blood just kept pouring out. One other guy came over to help, whipped off his tee shirt and made a tourniquet, and the two of them just tried to staunch the blood flow and she said she kept talking to the injured guy to try to keep him conscious- he kept asking her if he was going to die and she kept assuring him he wasn’t, although she really wasn’t sure- he was losing so much blood. Someone had called 911, but it was 40 minutes til the ambulance showed up and took him away.

My guest was wearing a little summer dress and had been so intent on trying to keep the guy alive that she didn’t realize until the ambulance took him that her arms and legs were covered in his blood, so she went to the bathroom and washed herself, then someone walked her back to my place. Somehow her dress ended up with no blood on it.

We talked for about an hour and a half, I made her a cup of tea, she needed to debrief, she was crying off and on and really traumatized. We checked to make sure she didn’t have any cuts or abrasions on her arms or legs that his blood could have gotten into.

I was worried that she’d be an emotional mess yesterday, but she went out and had a good day and found out today that the guy survived. She said her legs were really sore from kneeling on the sidewalk for 40 minutes, though.

This will be a week-long vacation she’ll never forget.

Wow, what a surreal and intense experience. Your guest sounds incredibly brave — she really stepped up when it counted. So glad she’s okay, and kudos to you for being such a caring host