Former Navy SEAL and Congressman Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., demonstrated extraordinary courage and quick thinking when he helped save an 11-year-old boy after witnessing a horrific highway crash in Iowa this weekend. Van Orden, who was traveling through the state with his family at the time, described the scene as one of chaos and urgency. He recounted seeing a Dodge Grand minivan disintegrate at high speed, veering off the road and striking a semi-truck attempting to merge onto the freeway. The crash, which occurred in a remote area, left the young boy critically injured with severe leg wounds and an arterial bleed in his wrist.
Van Orden immediately pulled over his car and rushed to the scene, where he found the boy in a dire condition. Using a knife provided by onlookers, he cut the seat belts off the child and fashioned makeshift tourniquets to control the bleeding. He described the boy’s injuries as life-threatening, with one of his legs severely damaged and his tibia and fibula exposed. Despite the boy’s critical condition, Van Orden and other bystanders worked together to stabilize his condition until paramedics arrived. The boy was eventually airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he received urgent medical attention.
The Iowa State Patrol confirmed that the crash occurred when the minivan struck a semi-truck that was attempting to merge onto the freeway from the shoulder. While the incident did not result in fatalities, both the driver of the van and the child required advanced medical care. Van Orden, who visited the boy in the hospital on Monday, emphasized the importance of immediate action in such emergencies, noting that without the intervention of bystanders and his own skills, the child could have succumbed to his injuries. He also praised the quick response of the paramedics, who arrived shortly after the accident despite the remote location.
The incident has sparked discussions about the role of trained individuals, such a former Navy SEAL, in emergency situations. Van Orden’s actions have been widely recognized as a heroic effort, underscoring the value of personal preparedness and community cooperation in saving lives. His experience in military medical training appears to have played a critical role in the successful outcome of this rescue operation. The event also highlights the challenges faced by emergency responders in isolated areas, where response times can be significantly longer.