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Security Captain Arsenault began his day like usual. He woke up at 2:50 a.m. and started to make the 45-minute commute to hit the gym before his shift.
“I was going down the road and saw some debris. I drove a few miles and didn’t think it looked right, so I turned around,” said Arsenault. “That’s when I saw a car had gone off the road, and I called 911. I planned to stay until police or fire showed up. I rolled down my window. I don’t know why. It was dark, and it was raining. I heard someone say, ‘Help me.’”
Eight to 12 feet deep in the brush below the road, Arsenault found a car with a young man pinned underneath. He called 911 again, and while he waited for first responders, he spoke with the victim. His name was Ian, a recent high school graduate who wanted to join the Navy. He had been playing video games with his friends that evening and estimated he'd been trapped under his car for about two hours.
“We talked about simple stuff to keep him calm,” Arsenault said. “He was begging me to get him out from under the car, but I knew we had to wait because he was probably injured, and it could be dangerous to move him. What resonated with me is how scared he must have been – I would never want that for my son – what he must have thought when he heard my truck drive away.”
Arsenault was in the right place at the right time, and his prior service in the Marine Corps, Reserves and law enforcement helped him make calm, rational choices in a critical situation. After Ian was freed and loaded into the ambulance, Arsenault got in his truck and cleaned up at the gym before starting his shift. He later learned that Ian had a shattered pelvis and many broken ribs. “He’s banged up, but he’ll be okay,” said Arsenault.