HEROS AMONG US
by Randy Meredith
Dean Baskett, Jr SMSgt, USAF Special Operations Command Hurlburt Field, FL saw the commotion as he was leaving Opal beach Saturday April, 22 with his family and realized someone was in trouble. Dean took off running to see if he could help. Dean recalled “when I got there two people had been rescued from the water by several people , one of them named Terrell.”
There was a young boy and another family who saw what was happening and both dialed 911. I did not get the name of the boy but he was pretty concerned when I spoke with him and about to cry as he said to me “ I can’t swim very well”. I assured him that he did a great job and told him “ I’m sure that you saved two lives today.”
On the beach Dean said “ there was a male and female face down ” Dean’s military training kicked in and he accessed the situation and began administering first aid to the most critical person and then the other. At this time a lifeguard arrived and Dean asked the lifeguard to call for Life Flight Helicopter and continued to give first aid to both the man and woman .
Next to arrive was a fireman who Dean said “ was great but I can not remember his name”. Now paramedics were administering Iv’s while Dean was holding the hand of the female as she provided important information . Dean said “ her name was Terra age 35 and the male was Mike age 39. They are from Huntsville, Alabama.”
Dean said “ Mike and Terra were both in the Gulf but Mike was further out. Terra saw that Mike was in trouble and she swam back to shore and grabbed a boogie board and went back out to help Mike. That’s when two other people joined in to help and then Terra went into shock or exhaustion and needed help herself.”
On the beach Mike was doing much better and suddenly Terra went into convulsions and shock according to Dean.
Mike and Terra were transported to the parking lot and then taken to the hospital.
Dean’s father who was also at Opal beach said “ This is not the first time Dean has saved a life. We all are praying for their recovery. ”
Dean summed everything up by saying “I am just one of the many that helped that day. I am very impressed with our first responders! To the lifeguards, Fireman, and Medics that showed up, my hat is off to you all. The other two gents that pulled the couple out of the water were rockstars! I just pray those folks are ok. ”
