A Marine commuting home from Camp Pendleton raced to the scene of a Cessna single-prop airplane crash near the Oceanside Municipal Airport on Feb. 24.
Sgt. Morgan Vohs, an open-water safety craft coxswain with G-7 Expeditionary Operations Training Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, witnessed the aircraft impact just short of the runway while driving home along Highway 76.
“As soon as it hit, I just immediately pulled over and jumped the 76 and ran over to the crash,” Vohs said.
He said that his fight-or-flight response kicked in and his response was to fight – to get in there and help.
After assessing the pilot and co-pilot’s wellbeing, he provided first-response aid and helped keep them calm until emergency medical services arrived on scene.
When Vohs went to check on the co-pilot, he found the door was damaged and unable to open.
“I had to pull the [door] handle, and I was able to squeeze my finger underneath it and just kind of yank that door open,” Vohs said. “Luckily it wasn’t too bent up and I could get into it.”
Looking back, Vohs said he did what anyone else would do in that situation, and he values his Marine Corps training, which provided him with the knowledge he needed to help.
“Every Marine goes through it in boot camp. It’s called CLS, Combat Life Saving,” Vohs said. “Every Marine knows the basics of medical training. It’s just second nature.”
Vohs is assigned to 1st Maintenance Battalion, I Marine Logistics Group, but is on temporary duty with G-7 Expeditionary Operations Training Group.
