A Pullman man in his 20’s sustained life-threatening injuries Sunday night when a fireworks tube, used to launch an aerial display that he was bracing on this thigh, exploded and damaged his leg, possibly severing an artery.
Neighbors who were watching the fireworks tried to stop the bleeding with direct pressure to his groin area along with a belt tourniquet and called Pullman Fire Department. Assistant Chief Ryan Scharnhorst, who was on the scene around 11 p.m. said the work by neighbors helped but it was the action of Pullman Police officer Brock Westerman applying a tourniquet as high as possible before fire personnel could arrive that may have saved the man from possibly bleeding out and dying.
Paramedics stabilized the patient at the scene and immediately rushed the man to Pullman Regional Hospital where doctors were able to further stabilize the patient. He was flown by a Lifeflight helicopter to Spokane’s Providence Sacred Heart Hospital for surgery.