LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's been more than a week since Oscar Sanchez visited downtown Louisville for the first time. Unfortunately, he had to see the city at its worst.
Sanchez, who is from El Paso, Texas, was attending a conference near Fourth Street Live! when he was violently attacked late at night on Oct. 24.
Louisville Metro Police say video surveillance shows Sean Coats come up behind Sanchez and slit his throat before moving down the street and doing the same to a second victim. They said the attack was random.
The former medic says he received more than 20 pints of blood while recovering at the University of Louisville Hospital.
"When I was cut, I held my external jugulars with my hand," he said.
But within minutes of the attack, Sanchez also got to see the community at its best. Good Samaritans quickly rushed over to help stop the bleeding before paramedics arrived to take him to the hospital.
"It took them 17 minutes to control the bleeding," he said. "Seven pints of blood, seven pints of plasma and seven pints of platelets."
Sanchez says he doesn't consider himself lucky, but rather "blessed by God, because I'm still here." He was released from the hospital last week and is now back home in Texas recovering.
Physically, his range of motion and feeling in his left shoulder is slow to return. Emotionally though, he tells us an outpouring of support has made the difference.
Recent violence in downtown has again sparked conversations over safety.
Sanchez says one person doesn't define how he views the city.
"To me, I think I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "But the people who helped me were in the right place at the right time to help me. That's the way I think about. To me, it's God saying, 'You know what, you're not ready to go.'"
Sanchez isn't blaming the city for what happened to him, but does say he would have liked to see more police around.
"I'd prefer for there to be more police presence. I did see security guards, but they can't really do anything," he said. "And I would think somebody in Louisville would think the same way."
Sanchez says he'll soon be seeing another trauma surgeon back in El Paso for a checkup.
If you'd like to donate to help the Sanchez family with medical costs, click here.
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