Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Holiday season hero: Teamster flight attendant takes quick action to save a life

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the spirit of giving gifts surrounds our society. This holiday season, a Teamster flight attendant was able to give the ultimate gift: the gift of a second chance at life.

Demetria Danielides-Abde works for Republic Airways, where she is represented by the Teamsters. Based out of Pittsburgh, she was on a layover in Atlanta, when she decided to go for a jog that would change her life and the life of a stranger:
I was running on a bike trail by our hotel when I heard a very loud bang that sounded like a gunshot. I looked around concerned, but nobody else was acting any differently. I figured it must’ve been a car backfiring, but when I ran a little further up the trail, I encountered the victim by the MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority).
The victim had been shot in the leg and was bleeding profusely. Danielides-Abde successfully calmed him down and got him to lie down as she was calling 911. Frighteningly, the shooter returned to the scene and confronted Danielides-Abde and the victim as she was giving him aid. In a situation where both her life and the life of the victim were in danger, she remained extremely composed and acted masterfully to bring the situation to a positive resolution. She said:
My mind went straight to the basics that we are taught in our job training. I told the victim very clearly to stop, lie down and don’t move. Upon closer examination, I discovered that he had been shot in the femur and he was beginning to slip in and out of consciousness. I used his belt to create an improvised tourniquet and managed to contain the bleeding. I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time and had the training to successfully help.
The police arrived and arrested the shooter. Paramedics arrived soon afterward and transported the victim to the hospital. He survived the ordeal and Danielides-Abde will be receiving the Accommodation Award for Action from the city of Atlanta because of her heroic actions as a good samaritan. 

Teamsters Airline Division Director Capt. David Bourne praised Danielides-Abde for her heroism: 
On behalf of the entire International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Airline Division, I want to recognize and salute Demetria for her incredible actions to save a man’s life in Atlanta. She went way above and beyond the call of duty, characteristic of the excellence and pride that Teamsters take in their profession. We are thrilled that she was able to help.