Sailors make icy-accident rescue

Sailors assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 at the Seabee base in Gulfport, Miss., helped rescue a civilian involved in a Dec. 8 car accident on an icy patch of Highway 49 in Hattiesburg. Equipment Operator 3rd Class Cristian Benton and Equipment Operator Constructionman Daniel Sellmeyer had gotten orders to deliver a fuel truck to Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, to refuel a convoy scheduled return to the Gulfport base. Road conditions were worsening due to freeze warnings and snow. While driving north on Highway 49, the sailors maneuvered into the median during the icy conditions to avoid a potential accident. When returning the truck back into traffic, they heard screeching tires and the sounds of a crash. A vehicle swerved into an embankment and ended up in a creek. It began to fill up with water. Benton ran into the chest-deep waters to check on driver who could not get out of the car. Benton searched for something to break a window. “I heard Sellmeyer yelling ‘Hey! Use the battery!’ It had been ejected from the car. He smashed a window and got to the driver. Sellmeyer examined the driver for any injuries. Prior to service, he was an emergency medical technician. “We got lucky. I hate to think what would have happened to this man had we not been there,” said Sellmeyer. “We were just in the right place at the right time, with the right set of skills.” (Source: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 12/15/17) The duo was each awarded with a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.