Body Injured, But Not His Spirit
by admin on Aug.12, 2009, under Combat, Rescues
Sadly, many of my posts have been about heroes who lost their lives in the line of duty. I’m happy to report that this post doesn’t have that sad ending in regards to our hero. His quick reflexes enabled him to save the team’s medic while taking a bullet himself in the leg. This blog goes into detail about this brave young man, Christopher Santiago Lowe, but I’m going to quote the action part here. There is also a slideshow of photos of him on duty.
On the early morning of 7 August 09, SPC Lowe was part of a 5-man team patrolling in the Kapisa Province area along with ANA and coalition forces. While traveling through one of the village hamlets lined with thick stone walls and mud brick houses, the insurgents unleashed a furious attack. The insurgents were well prepared and it was almost as they were informed and anticipated their arrival. Approximately 60-100 Taliban insurgents fired RPGs, AK-47’s, PKMs, and Ditska (equivalent of US 50-cal.) and other weapons at the approaching forces. Lowe along with his team sought shelter in a kalat (mud-stone house inside a walled in compound). Marine Captain Matt Freeman crawled on top of the roof looking for advantage points and was fatally hit by a bullet. “Doc” the medic was trying to provide assistance and recover the body. Doc yelled out for some help and Lowe’s reflexes took over as he scrambled up a ladder to the roof. Doc was tugging on Captain Freeman’s body and Lowe apparently sensed the danger. He grabbed Doc and threw him down. About the same time, Lowe took a bullet to his upper right thigh area. Both he and Doc fell off the roof to the ground. Doc apparently fell on top of Lowe’s leg and thought he broke it because Lowe was yelling “My leg, my leg”. But when the Doc saw the spurting blood, his medical training kicked into high gear and he applied a CAT tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
The femoral artery was nicked, but Doc was able to stabilize the bleeding and Lowe was transported out of the battle space to a helicopter landing zone.
