Quick-Thinking Teen Saves a Life

When 19-year-old member JoeBlake Anderson leaped out of his car with a medical kit in his hand, he wasn’t thinking about being a hero or saving a life. In fact, he doesn’t remember thinking much at all. He simply saw someone who needed assistance and realized within seconds that he could help. After that, Anderson’s instincts took over, guiding his actions over the next several minutes. Those actions ultimately helped save a man’s life.

On May 19, 2020, Anderson was driving on a peaceful country road in his hometown of Gallatin, TN, near Nashville, when he heard a loud bang. As traffic came to a halt, Anderson pulled to the side to get a better view. Up ahead, a white pickup truck lay on its side, windshield smashed, with a deep bend in its open hood.

While Anderson watched, three people emerged from the vehicle who appeared to be unhurt. But a moment later, when a fourth man made his way out of the truck, Anderson could see that he was bleeding badly from one arm. “I could tell from the color of the blood that it was an artery bleed, because it’s a brighter red, where veins that bleed are a deeper red,” Anderson said.

Teen Takes Action

That’s when Anderson’s instincts took over, and he grabbed the medical kit that he keeps in his car. Anderson’s father, a police officer with decades of experience, first began training him in basic medical skills around age 13. When Anderson learned to drive, his dad required him to always keep his kit in the car.

Even though Anderson himself had a cast on one arm due to a broken hand, he didn’t hesitate as he entered the scene. While other bystanders called 911, Anderson approached the injured man to offer help, but a language barrier made communication difficult. The man resisted his efforts. Eventually, the man calmed down, but he seemed to be in a daze, a sign that he might go into shock.

Knowing that it’s possible to die from severe arterial bleeding in less than five minutes, Anderson pulled a tourniquet from his kit and placed it around the man’s arm. But the man began to struggle when Anderson tried to tighten the tourniquet, which can cause more intense pain than the original injury. Nevertheless, Anderson got the tourniquet in place and tightened it down using his one good hand, successfully stopping the bleeding. Anderson then helped the man lay down, elevating his feet to direct blood flow back toward his brain so he wouldn’t lose consciousness. A few moments later, paramedics arrived on the scene and took over. The man has recovered and maintained full use of his arm.

JoeBlake Anderson, with his parents, Clay and Kayla, and his brother, J’Britton. The young man received a Citizen’s Commendation for helping save a man’s life after an auto accident.

Young Man Known for His Heart

Anderson’s grandmother, Sue Maddox, says that helping out is an essential part of her tender-hearted grandson’s personality. “He’s kind of a special boy in that he’s always thinking of other people before he does himself,” said Maddox. “He’s always been that way, since he was a little boy.”

She recalls a winter day when Anderson saw a man without a jacket walking in the cold. Anderson, who was just 16, literally gave the man the coat off his back to keep warm.

Helping others is also a cornerstone of his family’s values, said Anderson. “It sounds cliché, but the analogy that, if you borrow someone’s car, you return it clean and with a full tank of gas, that’s just how I’ve been raised — and my dad and mom led by example.” Maddox, Anderson and his parents are all WoodmenLife members. WoodmenLife is a not-for-profit life insurance company that’s been helping to protect the financial future of families like yours, making a difference in hometowns across America and honoring our country since 1890. Members are connected by a shared commitment to family, community and country.

Police Commendation

The First Responders who arrived at the wreck scene were impressed that a 19-year-old remained level-headed. Later that day, the Gallatin Police Department presented Anderson with a Citizen’s Commendation and a department coin. A Nashville TV news station interviewed Anderson, and the Gallatin newspaper also covered the story.

Anderson felt deeply moved by the Citizen’s Commendation. “I have always looked up to and idolized police officers due to my father being one himself,” he explained. “It was an honor to receive the award, and beyond humbling.”

Still, he has mixed feelings about receiving attention for his actions. “I just felt like it was not really something newsworthy, because I feel like any person would do that. I was just doing what I thought was best. What sounded best to me at the time was helping someone who needed help.”

Reaching Out to Help

Anderson, now 20, attends college and works as a reserve deputy sheriff in his father’s department. He says the most important thing this experience has taught him is that anyone can make a difference in an emergency, even with minimal skills. He encourages others to learn basic first aid, but he stresses that regardless of training, cultivating a helpful mindset is the most important part of emergency preparedness.

“Especially in today’s world, you don’t really see a lot of people reaching out to help one another,” he said. “But we’re all here together, we’re all God’s children. I just feel like we should lend a helping hand whenever we have the opportunity to do so. I’d like to think that every single person out there would do the same thing if they had the opportunity.”

When faced with such an opportunity, JoeBlake Anderson helped to save a man’s life. He may not like the word, but he is indeed a hero.