LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Paramedic Nate Witek couldn't see his patient when he arrived at a jobsite collapse last Thursday. But Witek could hear him holler for help, even though he was buried 10 feet deep in debris.
"Honestly," the medic said, "from the time that I came in from the time that I came out, time had stopped."
Of all the rescuers responsible for saving the man's life, Witek spent the most time with him — nearly eight hours of the nine-hour rescue effort.
Louisville firefighters exposed the trapped worker's arm and head — just enough room for Witek to put in what he calls the best IV of his five-year career.
"It went in perfectly," he celebrated, recounting the moment. "That was probably the most stressful part."
It's how he delivered medicine to the man, staving off crush syndrome. That's when the pressure is so intense, the body's muscles start breaking down, poisoning the bloodstream.
"If I do see him again, I'll bring him an orange Fanta. Because that was his beverage of choice," Witek said, laughing. At one point, he tried convincing his patient to go for water, but he eventually gave way to his demands and rescuers sent a bottle of the soda down.
The reality of Witek's heroics set in much later, after the rescued man reunited with his mother at the hospital.
"On the ride home from work. Turned the radio down. Just chilling, with the window open," Witek said. "You're just taking it all in like, 'alright, we did it.'"
Witek loves his job, but he wishes more people would do it. He and the other paramedics work 12, sometimes 16 hour shifts.
"I mean non-stop running. I'm coming in to work — ambulances. I'm leaving work — ambulances," he said, sirens blaring in the distance.
He praised strong leadership, good benefits and a recent upgrade in pay as reasons to join — in addition to the invaluable knowledge of how to save a life and a dedicated cohort of professionals.
Witek got his start saving lives as a young man, once putting a tourniquet on his friend in the woods after the friend had shot himself accidentally in the leg. Knowledge he got from his mother, who he thanks for his career now.
During the rescue, Witek stayed in touch with his supervisor over the phone — part of his extended work family.
"I know it's the corny line, 'we're a work family,' but here at Metro [EMS], I mean, the things we see, we really do bond," he said.
He recommends the career, even if it puts him eye-to-eye with life and death.
"You could be going to work and a building could fall on you. Something can explode. You just don't know if you're ever going to make it home," he mused.
And although saving lives is just another day on the job for him, it still serves as a reminder of what's truly important.
"Friends, family, laughter," Witek rattled off. "Take that extra 10 minutes to make a phone call, 'cause you just don't know if you're gonna have the opportunity later."
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