Minot airman saves fellow airman from bleeding out

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (KMOT) – Two airmen from Minot Air Force Base had a harrowing experience back in December.

Airman 1st Class Cedric Amoranto and Sgt. Nicholas Thompson were on duty checking visitor’s IDs on Dec. 21.

When Amoranto attempted to open a bucket of de-icer with a tool cutter, the blade ended up cutting through part of Amoranto’s arm.

Amoranto raised his hand to show his coworker the bleeding when his arm started gushing blood.

Thompson said he immediately went to help Amoranto.

”Where the radial artery runs and used both my thumbs and wrapped my arms around his forearm to stop the blood flow,” said Thompson.

He said his medical training taught him what to do.

Although Amoranto was wearing the tourniquet, he bled enough to cover his entire uniform with blood by the time he got to the hospital.

The doctors told him it was a close call.

“They said that we did a good job stopping it and that if we didn’t get that tourniquet on, I probably would’ve died in under three minutes,” said Amoranto.

Amoranto said he has a scar and less flexibility in his fingers for now, but the wound is healed.

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