On June 7, 2009, Derrick Ryan thought he was going to die after a gun went off and a bullet shot through his leg.
But Ryan credits his training in first aid through the Boy Scouts of America for ultimately saving his life.
That summer Ryan was staying at his grandmother’s house while his uncle was away. He was asked to clean guns, which he had done many times before, while his grandmother was sleeping.
“I’m very familiar with firearms, so it wasn’t a big deal,” the 16-year-old said.
The Turkeyfoot Valley Area High School student was cleaning a .357 revolver. He took off the grips and cylinders to clean the rust that had accumulated on the cylinders. Moments later the handgun went off.
“I didn’t know what had happened,” he said. “I was looking for a hole in the floor.”
At first Ryan did not realize he had accidentally shot himself. Later he looked down and noticed a 6-inch gash in his left pant leg. The bullet entered his lower thigh, about 4 inches above his knee, and exited another part of his leg.
Luckily for Ryan the bullet did not mushroom, or expand. If it had it could have exploded in his leg and blown off.
Moments after the gun went off Ryan started thinking of the first aid he learned in Boy Scouts in sixth grade.
“I started taking heavy breaths in order to lower my heart beat,” he said.
He tried to apply pressure to the gunshot wound. He dialed 911 and while he was on the phone Ryan went to get a towel in order to make a mock tourniquet.
“I figured I was going to die, but I wanted to do the best I could until the ambulance came,” he said.
It took ambulance services about seven to eight minutes to arrive.
“It really felt like an hour,” Ryan said.
Once he arrived at the hospital the doctors cleaned the wound and tried to close it with bandages and gauze.
After three months of physical therapy Ryan was shocked that he made a 100 percent recovery.
Ryan said he knows that had he not learned about first aid the situation could have had a different ending.
“I think it would have been a different situation because I wouldn’t have known what to do,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d ever have to use it.”
Ryan has been scouting since he was in first grade — moving up from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. He is a member of Troop 150 out of Confluence.
Assistant Scout Master Bill Conn said first aid skills are extremely important to scouts.
“We push it pretty hard because it’s something that whether they make Eagle or don’t get above first class, first aid is something that goes with them throughout life,” he said. “It might save them or a family member and it’s something everybody should know.”
Conn said that first aid skills are part of many requirements in receiving merit badges.
Although scout masters were vital in teaching Ryan first aid, Conn said, he does take credit for the unfortunate situation.
“But you are glad you could help them be prepared for things. You hope they’ll never have to use it, but some will,” he said.
Ryan hopes to eventually earn his Eagle Scout, the highest honor achieved in the organization.
The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
He is the son of Frank and Melynie Ryan of Confluence. Return to previous page |
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