Off-duty Border Patrol agent credited with saving injured cyclist

BORSTAR agent used EMT training to save Yuma man's life

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A local BORSTAR agent's training proved essential when he encountered an emergency while off the clock.

Agent Travis Carter was watching his daughter's soccer practice Tuesday evening when he learned of a nearby accident. A car had hit a man on a bicycle, and the man was in dire need of emergency medical attention.

Fortunately, Carter is a certified paramedic and Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) operator. He recognized the bone-deep cut on the man's leg could cause him to bleed to death. Carter got a tourniquet from Yuma Police, and cared for the man until Yuma Fire Department paramedics arrived. He then helped them prepare the patient for transport.

" “These are the reasons why I joined this agency, acquiring the platform and training necessary to make a difference in the lives of the ones I come in contact with,” says Carter.

 “We do not have the advantage of choosing the type of situations we respond to, but we do have the benefit of choosing how we respond.”

The cyclist is now recovering in stable condition at Yuma Regional Medical Center thanks to Carter's assistance and skills.