Hero honored: Praised for Grade 9 student who saved man's life after truck severed his leg
A 17-year-old high school student in Phetchabun applied first aid skills to save a man who lost his leg in a trailer truck accident on June 17. The girl stopped the bleeding, kept the victim conscious by talking to him, and called emergency
Ms. Sirinart Ruedhimol, a 17-year-old Grade 9 student at Ban Nangua School (Charoenwitthayakarn) under Phetchabun Primary Educational Area Office 1, has been praised for her heroic rescue of a motorcycle driver struck by a truck trailer on June 17. The incident occurred around 8:00 a.m. on the bypass road between Samnak Man and Ban Tok in Nangua Subdistrict, Mueang District, Phetchabun Province, as the student was riding to school. She noticed a parked truck trailer and locals waving for help, and upon turning back discovered the victim with his right leg severed near the knee and left leg severely deformed.
Without hesitation, Sirinart used the victim's shirt to apply a tourniquet and stop the bleeding while keeping him conscious through continuous conversation to prevent him from losing consciousness. She called emergency hotline 1669 and police hotline 191 to report the incident. Within approximately 10 minutes, an ambulance from Phetchabun Hospital arrived and transported the victim to safety. The victim is now in stable condition under close medical supervision.
Sirinart revealed that the victim's condition was critical when she found him, barely able to speak. She emphasized that if she hadn't turned back or if emergency services had been delayed, the outcome could have been tragic. Two elderly residents who witnessed the accident had no mobile phones and could only watch helplessly. Sirinart learned her life-saving techniques from first aid training at her school and from her former nurse sister. She felt immense relief upon learning the victim would survive, grateful that her training and quick response made a difference in saving a life.
