RICHMOND, Va. — Two TSA officers at Richmond International Airport (RIC) were credited with helping to save an airline pilot's life after he suddenly went into cardiac arrest.
TSA officer Nigel Allen and Lead TSA officer Trenard Collier were in the middle of a security operation on April 10 when they noticed the pilot looking unwell, a TSA spokesperson said.
“Trenard saw the pilot on the other side of the atrium,” Allen recalled, “and told me, ‘I think that guy is about to pass out.’ I looked over just as the pilot fell to the floor.”
The pilot approached a railing, staggering, and toppled over his bag before passing out.
Allen sprinted to the pilot’s side, called for assistance, and began performing first aid.
"There's somebody turning blue in my arms, and I needed to do something," Allen said.
Allen grabbed an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), the same one RIC Fire Chief Doug Martin used to bring a pulse back to the man's heart.
Their quick jump to action added up, after it took a responding medical team nearly double the time to respond that day.
"That day, it was 10 minutes," Martin said. "Because Fire Medic 7, from Mechanicsville, had to come. Usually, it's 5 minutes."
Allen and Collier cleared the area to give police and fire responders the necessary room to further attend to the pilot.
TSA Federal Security Director Robin “Chuck” Burke applauded Allen for his decisive efforts.
“Officer Allen’s actions displayed conspicuous initiative, capability, and above and beyond service to the community he serves,” said Burke. “His actions clearly contributed to saving the pilot’s life. The RIC Airport Police Department and stakeholders at RIC commended Officer Allen for his quick response in being the first to administer initial first aid.”
“I’m proud to work side-by-side with the workforce at Richmond who display caring and professionalism, such as Officer Allen, on a daily basis,” Burke added.
TSA said Allen has served TSA in Richmond for four years and is currently a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he is completing his degree in information systems.
According to Martin, teams at RIC deal with roughly five to six cardiac arrests at the airport each year.
There are also AEDs across the airport that are always within reach in case of emergency.
Despite the long wait time for EMS, the fast response led to the pilot's revival, as well as his ability to regain consciousness.
"Everybody was there, right there, right on time, if there ever was a 'right time,'" Martin said.
The pilot is recovering, and his family has expressed their deepest appreciation for Allen’s assistance and all involved.
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