Congressman Saves 11-Year-Old’s Life by Tourniqueting His Arm and Leg

Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden is being hailed a hero after saving the life of an 11-year-old who was injured following a car crash.

On Saturday, Aug. 16, Van Orden and his family were driving to a memorial for his daughter, who had died two years ago, on I-35 when he heard a “massive, massive boom” on the road, he told KCCI. The crash took place about an hour outside Des Moines, per the outlet.

According to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol reviewed by PEOPLE, the boom was a result of a minivan crashing into a semi truck that was parked on the side of the interstate and preparing to re-enter the lanes after stopping for a mechanical issue.

The minivan was driven by a 41-year-old woman who is suspected of being impaired at the time of the crash, said the Iowa State Patrol. The department has begun an OWI (operating while intoxicated) drug investigation.

She and her 11-year-old passenger were categorized as “injured” according to the Iowa State Patrol. Thanks to Van Orden’s help, though, the 11-year-old was able to survive.

The boy had suffered many injuries that included an arterial bleed in his right wrist and calf wounds that made his tibia and fibula visible, according to Fox News.

The congressman told KCCI that he ran to his truck after stopping at the scene of the incident and grabbed two pairs of socks from his suitcase.

“Then I put up two constricting bands because there wasn’t enough for a tourniquet,” he said. “By then, several more people arrived, and I asked if anyone had a knife, and a guy handed me a carpet cutter and I cut the seatbelts and used those as tourniquets for his arm and leg to stop the bleeding.”

Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL, was happy to utilize his skills to help the pre-teen.

“I’m not just a Navy SEAL, I’m a combat medic. That was essentially a wound of war,” Van Orden said.

“When I saw the entire side of his leg was missing, that’s from his knee down to his ankle, and he was bleeding in his right wrist, and from my experience, there’s a high likelihood he would have bled to death before the ambulance showed up,” he added.

Both the boy and the 41-year-old driver were airlifted to nearby hospitals, though the condition of the two is not known.

Van Orden, however, was able to pay the 11-year-old a visit in the hospital the Monday following the incident, where he told Fox News the boy thanked him for his heroic actions. He was also able to speak with the boy’s father.

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“I was able to speak to his dad, who clearly didn’t know that our daughter had passed, and I said, ‘Sir, our daughter passed two years ago, and I’m very thankful that you don’t have to share that experience.’ It was a very humbling moment with his dad,” recalled Van Orden to Fox News.