MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis doctor and his wife rushed to the rescue when a woman was badly injured in a boating accident. What they did saved her life until first responders could arrive and it all happened while the couple was on vacation.
Dr. Daniel Wakefield and his wife Amber, a registered nurse, were on vacation on a beach in Destin, Florida when they heard people yelling for help. A woman named Lee Ann Dorn had fallen off a boat and into its moving propeller. The Wakefields rushed over as Dorn was being pulled ashore.
“I did my training here at the University of Tennessee,” Dr. Wakefield said. “Our experience in surgery is exceptional. So, I had seen injuries like this before in the trauma bay at Regional One.”
“Daniel really jumped in and took charge and I used my nursing skills,” Amber Wakefield said.
Together, the couple stabilized Dorn until first responders arrived and took her to the hospital by helicopter.
“We left the beach that day not knowing what was going to happen, really worried about her and praying about her,” Amber Wakefield said.
Fortunately, Dorn survived and continues to recover after multiple surgeries. The accident happened last year, but now, the story is getting national attention. It was recently featured on the “Tamron Hall Show”.
“I’m just glad Lee Ann is okay,” Dr. Wakefield said.
After connecting this summer, the Wakefields went to see Dorn and her husband.
“She looked great!” Amber Wakefield said, “I started to sob and she was like don’t do that because I will and I was like, okay.”
The Wakefields say lifeguards and other people also rushed to help Dorn but it’s extremely fortunate that two medical professionals were in the right place at the right time.