A Coast Guardsman was seriously hurt hours after Hurricane Matthew passed, and on Wednesday his team was recognized for saving his life.
- Coast Guard Lt. Commander Steve West injured after Hurricane Matthew
- Team members managed to stop bleeding, get him to mainland
- Team was honored Wednesday
It was just hours after Hurricane Matthew passed by Brevard County on Oct. 7, and Coast Guard Lt. Commander Steve West and members of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office were conducting a post-storm survey of Port Canaveral.
Out of nowhere, West was struck in the head by a falling sign some 10 feet long, weighing 250 pounds.
"Wasn't even planning on getting out of the vehicle, but we had to open up the gate," said Lt. Cmdr. West. "And that's the last thing I remember."
"I heard like a sheet metal sign, that kind of noise," said BCSO Seaport Security Manager John Brady. "I heard the sign hit something, I turned around and saw Steve laying on the ground."
Brady, his co-workers and firefighters there had to act fast. West's head was badly hurt, part of his brain was showing.
"They secured me, stopped the bleeding, and they put me in traction right away. And then to think out of the box," Lt. Cmdr. West said.
That's because all routes to the barrier island were shut down due to the storm. They had to get West to a waiting ambulance on the mainland themselves.
He was then rushed to the hospital for immediate brain surgery.
Lt. Cmdr. West spent several days in intensive care, and left the hospital just a few days after that.
Wednesday all involved in the rescue were honored at the Propeller Club of Port Canaveral luncheon.
"That's what saved my life. That's why I'm alive today," he said.
Lt. Cmdr. West spent a month and a half recovering and is back on duty at the port.