YUMA, Ariz. – An off-duty Border Patrol agent attending his daughter’s soccer practice Tuesday evening responded to a motor vehicle versus bicyclist accident nearby and provided lifesaving medical care to the injured individual on scene.

The off-duty agent, a Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue operator and certified paramedic, was watching his daughter’s soccer practice when he was informed of the incident nearby. The agent ran to the location and found a conscious male in the middle of the road. The man had a large laceration above his left knee that was bleeding from a suspected femoral artery laceration. The depth of the wound was to the bone near the patient’s thigh. After assessing the victim’s injuries and with the help of a bystander, the off-duty agent applied pressure to the wound, in an effort to slow the bleeding. When Yuma Police Department (YPD) arrived on scene, the agent requested a tourniquet, which he applied to the individual’s leg. Yuma Fire Department (YFD) then arrived on scene and began treatment. The agent continued assisting paramedics in preparing the individual for transport. The patient was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center. Currently, the patient is reported to be in a stable condition.

“These are the reasons why I joined this agency, acquiring the platform and training necessary to make a difference in the lives of the ones I come in contact with,” said Border Patrol Agent Travis J. Carter.” “We do not have the advantage of choosing the type of situations we respond to, but we do have the benefit of choosing how we respond.”

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Customs

and Border Protection

“Agent Carter’s quick thinking, ability to react in high-stress situations and preparedness saved this man’s life,” said Yuma Sector’s Acting Chief Patrol Agent Carl Landrum. “His expertise and training highlights the adaptability and first-response capabilities of U.S. Border Patrol agents in our community—on and off duty, I’m proud of Agent Carter’s actions.”

BORSTAR was created in response to the growing number of injuries to Border Patrol agents and migrant deaths along our nation’s borders. BORSTAR teams are composed of experienced Border Patrol Agents who have received specialized training in search and rescue operations, to include swift water rescue and recovery operations in rescuing border crossers, and in this instance—U.S. citizens, in distress and providing them with medical care and lifesaving aid. All BORSTAR operators are Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technicians and/or Nationally Registered Paramedics.