Bear Hug...Leaves Lasting Impression

 SHIFT 26...Rick's ReFlections of his 32 years career in the Fire Service...

Delta MD11

It’s our monthly In-Service circa 1997 when we are tapped out (that’s not UFC, rather dispatched) to a BE3 (behavioral problem) at Delta 10 for an incoming flight. Tagging along is our Physician Advisor who was teaching the In-Service. While awaiting the aircrafts arrival we are told that a man on board the flight is having emotional problems over the death of his mother and they are unable to get him off the floor. Typically they will not land a plane without everyone buckled into their seats, but lack of fuel will make you do extraordinary things.  

Now the plane has landed, the other passengers have deplaned…and we board sure enough finding ‘Mr. Lee’ prone to the floor. After several minutes of discussion we are able to convince Mr. Lee to stand and walk off the MD11 aircraft. So now the story…Mr. Lee’s mom did die…three years ago. He traveled from Japan to New York to attend a funeral of a close friend. Now upon his return he is distraught over his friend, but is being reminded of the loss of his mother as well. Mr. Lee is a stocky 5’7” man of Korean birth, but has lived the majority of his life in Japan. Apparently there is a great amount of prejudice between the two and Mr. Lee has always lived with this psychological baggage. 

While attending to Mr. Lee, my partner is confirming with Delta if Mr. Lee will be able to continue his flight. Delta no sooner gives their blessing when Mr. Lee, who had been quite calm for the past 15 minutes, stands up grabs me in a ‘bear hug’, locking my arms to my side and lifts me off the ground. Note that we’ve been on scene with this patient for about an hour by this time and I have the sense that he’s pretty much gentle person who is just having ‘one of those moments’. Well, the drama of the moment definitely intensified. Police who were on scene from the start immediately ask me if I’m alright, to which I claim that I’m good for the time being. I’ve always thought that they should have called paging and announced over the PA… “Would the Korean gentleman, lifting the Paramedic off the ground please place him back onto the floor, you’re going to miss your flight”. Unfortunately miss his flight was now a given. 

The rest of the story…Mr. Lee did eventually place me back onto the floor, he did calm down and we were able to get him safely and quietly into the back of the ambulance. Before the doors shut he could be seen and heard shouting…USA, number one; Korea, number two; Japan, number three…Don’t know whatever happened to Mr. Lee. I imagine he got home. I hope he got further help. I know that he left me with a lasting impression…and I’m not talking just about a bear hug.