A local lineman has been recognized for his emergency actions that led to saving a life.
Washington EMC Apprentice Lineman Triston Brantley received a Lifesaving Award from Georgia EMC during the association’s annual meeting in Savannah.
Brantley was awarded for his act of quick-thinking, courage, and medical intellect.
The lineman was recently dispatched to the home of a Washington EMC member. On-site repairs were needed, as the homeowner accidentally struck his home’s service entrance cable with a drill when working on a renovation project.
A lineman was needed to temporarily remove the home’s meter while the proper repairs could be serviced.
Triston Brantley disconnected the meter and patiently waited as the homeowner crawled under the house to make the necessary fix.
Knowing the restoration should only take a few minutes, Brantley became concerned when the man had not returned after nearly 15 minutes.
Brantley decided to verbally shout under the home, questioning if the individual was alright.
When he received an odd-sounding jumbled and slurred response, the Wash EMC lineman feared for the man’s safety and was worried about a potential suffered stroke.
Triston Brantley immediately crawled under the house in pursuit of the injured homeowner. He found the individual lying on his back and discovered that the man was unable to operate his extremities, particularly due to having no strength on the left side of his body.
Realizing the need for urgent medical assistance, Brantley quickly and cautiously removed the homeowner from the crawlspace by pulling him out from under the house by his ankles.
The lineman promptly called 9-1-1 to have emergency personnel dispatched to their location. While awaiting the arrival of EMTs, Triston Brantley continued to tend to injured individual and by phone relay critical information to the responding paramedics so they had a full understanding of the situation prior to arrival and could immediately render the proper aid.
Going above and beyond, Brantley even assisted in loading the individual into the ambulance by backboard.
Following a full evaluation at the local medical facility, the lineman was proven correct in his original assessment that the man had suffered a stroke.
With Brantley’s fast actions and proper response under distress, the homeowner has been able to make a near full recovery.
In receiving the Lifesaving Award, Triston Brantley was one of only 12 statewide EMC employees to be recognized with the distinguished honor that highlights those instrumental in safeguarding others from dire situations.
“While I appreciate everyone’s ‘congratulations’ and ‘good job’ sentiments, this is not an award for which I will take any credit. I truly believe that God knew that the man would suffer a stroke that day but was not ready to call him home,” said Triston Brantley. “God knew that the man needed someone there that could recognize the symptoms of a stroke and would be physically capable of getting him out from underneath the house. He decided to use me as His instrument. God could have used any of our guys at Washington EMC, and I feel confident that any of them would have done an excellent job. Our Lord deserves every bit of credit for this award. God knows what we need and He always provides.”
Brantley is a native and resident of Wrightsville.
