Air Force Recruiting Airman in right place at right time to save elderly neighbor

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Chance Babin
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs

PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Florida – Sometimes in life, being in the right place at the right time can be the difference between life and death.

For Master Sgt. Carlton Holt, 333rd Recruiting Squadron first sergeant, here, deciding to check his mail early on the morning of Apr. 9, 2021, proved to be a moment he and an elderly couple will never forget.

“I noticed a man approaching my direction. He was a senior citizen and he was pointing at me frantically,” Holt said. “He seemed to have lost his ability to speak and he was waving me to follow him back to his house. I hesitantly followed, and was unsure about what I was going to see. He led me into his house and took me to his master bedroom.”

When Holt got to the bedroom he found the man’s wife unresponsive. Her skin tone was very pale. Holt immediately ran home and get his cell phone and called 911. He was connected to the Rockledge Fire department.

“Once I called 911, I assisted in providing the call center with the situational and supporting information regarding her current state,” Holt said. “While still on the phone, I assisted the gentleman who was with his wife by putting pillows behind her head to help her air flow. The gentlemen seemed to be battling dementia and was in a state of shock. He clearly was confused and did not know what to do to help his wife, but he knew enough to go outside and find someone to help. In this case he found me.”

When the paramedics arrived on scene, Holt provided them with details regarding the condition of the wife. He assisted the firefighters in searching the kitchen and house for any supporting information regarding her condition. 

“We later found out that she was diabetic and her sugar level was extremely low. That’s why she was unresponsive initially,” Holt said. “While the paramedics were tending to her, I scanned their landline phone to attempt to locate any relatives, friends or medical providers. I was super lucky to find their son Jim’s phone number on the land line caller ID.”

“I called him once the paramedics arrived,” Holt said. “The conversation consisted of informing him that his mother was not doing so well but the paramedics are with her as we speak. Luckily, Jim lives in Florida and was able to drive over 20 minutes later.”

Once Holt notified the family, he passed the phone to the on-scene paramedic, who needed to confirm if the patient was indeed diabetic. Knowing she was a diabetic allowed the paramedics to give her the proper medication to raise her sugar level. The paramedic also put peanut butter on an English muffin to provide her additional sugar.

After the family arrived and the wife came back to consciousness, Holt finally had time to exhale.

“I felt a sense of relief. First and foremost when the paramedics arrived I took a breath and small sigh of relief. When she started to gain her consciousness and awareness, it was a super relief,” Holt said. “It all happened so fast. I was there for about 45 minutes to an hour. I was overjoyed about the situation and called my wife, mother and father to share what had just happened.”

Holt briefly met the family that fateful morning and they thanked him for what he had done for their mother. He also found out that Jim had served in the Air Force.

A few weeks later, he returned to visit his neighbors, just two doors down, to make sure they were doing ok. Daniel and Francine, the couple he spent an intense hour with weeks earlier, were both doing well

“I wanted to go back and check on the couple. He is a Korean War Veteran. It was very important for me to speak with them and tell her how heroic her husband was,” Holt said. “Though he could not speak, he acted on impulse and that impulse saved his wife’s life. I was just honored to be in the right place at the right time. They were very thankful and her husband offered me a beer. I declined the beer that day, but assured them I would come back and take him up on his offer.”

For Holt, finding out Daniel was a Korean War veteran hit home as he had also served in Korea, although under very different circumstances.

“I told them I planned to go back and check on them,” Holt said. “I want to talk to him about serving in Korea and look at pictures of his journey as a United States Marine and an Army Soldier.”

Looking back, Holt believes being at the right place at the right time was the work of a higher power.

“I do think it was divine intervention because, at that very moment, there was one no one outside but him and me,” Holt said. “If he had not found me, Francine could have died without proper medical support. I was just super glad I was checking my mail at that time of day. I believe she would not have survived without immediate medical support.”