“It’ll Never Happen to Me!” — MyMedic and Accidental Discharge

July 7, 2020  
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Categories: Gear Curious

It was a quiet New Years Day; cold outside, but warm and comfortable inside. Everyone was enjoying the relaxing pace as it slowly slipped into the evening. Paul and his wife were settling in to watch some TV as the rest of the family were scattered around the house doing their own thing. It was one of those chill holidays, the kind that has you feeling thankful for the time together with family and friends, and looking forward to what the new year has to offer.

That calmness came to a halt when out of nowhere, a gunshot went off INSIDE the house. That chill vibe quickly turned into a panic.

Jumping into action, Paul ran downstairs as he knew his son (23 years old, and had been safely handling guns for years) was installing a safety switch on his 1911 pistol. He found a scene he never imagined would ever happen to his family. His son had accidentally shot himself in the leg. Assessing the situation, he saw blood everywhere and his was son in extreme pain. Paul called 911, then asked his daughter to quickly run to his truck and get his First Aid Kit.

Ripping open his MyFAK, Paul was able to stop the bleeding and dress his son’s wound. “It was a full metal jacket; it went in and right out his thigh. I couldn’t believe it. He knows how to handle his firearms safely. We were living that “It will never happen to me” moment right now,” Paul shared with us.

My Medic Advanced First Aid Kit - IFAK

We subconsciously tell ourselves, “It will never happen to me!”  —Especially when it comes to a possible accident in a field in which we consider ourselves extremely knowledgeable.

Paul is well versed in building/repairing/shooting firearms, and of course, gun safety and probably would have bet money on something like this would never happen to him. As with just about every responsible gun owner, firearms safety has always been rule number one for Paul and his family. Paul takes part in cowboy action shooting (Old West-style competitive shooting) and has been safely enjoying this sport with his family for many years without incident.

Paul is a Cowboy Action competitive shooter.

Chances are?

Like most of us, Paul works a full-time job for an electrical company. He had been called to do some electrical work at MyMedic’s building to fix some wiring issues. When Ryan Welch, president of MyMedic, saw Paul going about his workday, he quickly ran over to apologize and explain that someone had given him the wrong placement for the wiring. Paul would need to re-route all that work he’d just done, over to another wall. Knowing what a pain it would be for Paul, Ryan offered him an advanced MyFAK First Aid Kit.

“I felt so bad making him do all that extra work, it was a communication error on our part, so I wanted to let him know how much I appreciated his great attitude about it and offered him what I consider to be one of our best First Aid Kits, the MyFAK.”

Neither Paul nor Ryan knew just how important this gift would prove to be in a few weeks. Paul was very appreciative of the gesture and decided to keep the First Aid Kit in his vehicle, where he felt it would be best accessible.

After the accidental discharge accident, Paul was blown away by how that First Aid Kit proved to be a literal life-saver. It was ironic that just a few weeks prior, he didn’t have anything on hand for First Aid supplies. Thanks to fast access to the MyFak First Aid Kit, Paul was able to get the bleeding under control. Even the EMS was in awe with how quickly he was able to do it.

Paul said, “It was surreal that Ryan had just given this to me, what are the chances that not even two weeks later I would desperately need a First Aid Kit to help my family. I’ll always keep a MyFak First Aid Kit with me from now on.”

My Medic emergency medical kit, coyote tan.

Bleeding Sucks

When a bullet pierces flesh, it leaves a path of destruction, ripping through tissue, shredding nerves, blood vessels, and muscle. It can fracture and splinter bone and create an environment for bacteria to creep deep inside you. The most extensive destruction it causes is blood loss, and that is where the “First” in First Aid plays its part.

The first thing to do is to STOP THE BLEED. All bleeding needs to be controlled. If left uncontrolled, bleeding may lead to shock or even death. Most bleeding can be stopped before the ambulance arrives at the scene if you have the right tools.

No matter how safe we intend to be, and how many precautions we take in our lives, accidents will still occur. Most people call 911 and wait. But that time spent waiting for help could be the difference between life and death. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be a medical professional to save a life; you need access to the right first Aid Kit.

Look, we all are guilty of feeling confident and thinking, “It will never happen to me.” It’s human nature, but as humans, we are also able to learn from one another. Paul learned firsthand how important it is to have quick access to a proper First Aid Kit, and he hopes everyone reading his story will understand that these “things” we never think will happen to us are called accidents for a reason. No one plans on a disaster happening to them, but when it does, quick access to life-saving supplies is necessary.

We are happy to share that Paul’s son made a full recovery and was only off work for a few short weeks.

MyMedic First Aid Kits IFAK

According to the Gun Violence Archives so far in 2020, there have been 956 unintentional shootings. If you are interested in learning more about these First Aid Kits, visit the MyMedic website.

Edit: We checked in with Paul just the other day and got another surprise! He mentioned that he used that same MyFak First Aid Kit earlier when his 94-year-old neighbor took a nasty spill on her front concrete stairs and ripped open her arm. Once again, Paul realized just how important it is to have fast access to a First Aid Kit. Always.

Paul's MyFAK First Aid kit from My Medic, in vehicle.

If you liked this, check out the rest of our Bloody Important articles.

MyMedic: Read more of our articles about ’em.

⚠️ Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s just one way to Back the Bang. #backthebang 

 

Sara Liberte

Sara Liberte

About the Author

Sara Liberte is a 100% indisputable adventuress. She's a graduate of the Montserrat College of Art and the Unofficial University of Offroad Literal Cross-Country Journeying (itself associated with the famous "School of Hard Knocks"). A photographer/videographer of supreme talent and utter disregard for inclement weather, arduous conditions, or little things like the law of averages, Sara is an eleutheromaniac who loves firearms, motorsports, motorcycles and…well, all vehicles, really, as long as they’re the kind that gets dirty and generates adrenaline. She travels the US in a van called the Dodge Mahal, dog at her side (he also rides in her motorcycle sidecar). If you need to find her, you’ll have to look outside. Try moto-events, mountain ranges, or firearms classes. She runs the website Garage Girls and is the author of "How to Repair and Maintain American V-Twin Motorcycles", "1000 Biker Tattoos", and other works. Her work has appeared in Easy Riders Magzine, In The Wind, Hot Bike, Street Chopper, IronWorks, Cycle Source, RECOIL Magazine, OFFGRID Magazine, and many other places. What more is there to say?

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