What to Know
- A quick-thinking New Jersey State Trooper is being credited with saving a man's life by using a computer cord and an arrow as a tourniquet
- He was among the first on the scene after police got a call about an accidental shooting at a home in Knowlton Township Thursday
- The trooper found the man bleeding profusely from the leg and leaped into action; the man is now in stable condition at a hospital
A New Jersey state trooper used a computer cable and a decorative arrow to save the life of a man who accidentally shot himself, state police said Thursday.
Several troopers, including Roy Sanchez, responded to a call shortly before 4 p.m. about an accidental shooting at a home in Knowlton Township. Sanchez found the man bleeding profusely from a gunshot to his leg.
He called dispatch for additional support, but knew he had to do something to slow the bleeding, according to a New Jersey State Police Facebook post. So he reached for the nearest items -- a computer cable and a decorative arrow that had been hanging on the wall.
Using those tools, he managed to create a makeshift tourniquet to put on the man's leg. A short time later, two other troopers arrived and helped move a desk to better help the victim.
Medical personnel then showed up and applied a second tourniquet, along with clotting gauze to control the bleeding.
State Police say the man is in stable condition at a hospital.
"As Troopers, we must rely on our training and experience to make split-second decisions," the Facebook post said. "Great job by all of the Troops involved, whose quick and decisive actions undoubtedly increased the victim's chances of survival."
