Seabee springs into action

Navy Utilitiesman 2nd Class Joseph McCord was standing in his kitchen waiting for a pot of "Starter Fluid" coffee to finish brewing. He packed up his belongings, and coffee mug, and started his trek from Saucier, Miss., to Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport. It was a monotonous routine down Highway 49. In the dark distance, a car’s taillights flickered and vanished. As he drove past, he noticed a faint light at the bottom of an embankment. The car was battered and flipped on its roof. McCord jumped into action. He could smell various fluids leaking, steam coming from under the hood and a bloody arm hanging out of the driver’s-side window. He worked with the driver to pull him from the wreckage. After a quick triage, McCord began providing first aid. There was "dark red arterial blood" coming from his arm. "That’s not a good sign," he said. A Mississippi Department of Transportation vehicle had pulled up and had already called 911, he said. They stayed with the driver until emergency personnel arrived. McCord, still feeling the effects of adrenaline, took swig of coffee and continued his way to work at Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27. McCord’s life slowly settled back into its routine, including planning for his entire family to relocate from Prairieville, Texas, to Coastal Mississippi. (Source: NCBC Gulfport 04/19/22) (6) Facebook