Strike of the Blade

The jaw-dropping true story of one man's survival from an extremely rare and unforeseen tragedy---that ultimately resulted in triumph.

In July of 2012, a local law enforcement communication center requested a helicopter for the rescue operations of an injured hiker with a broken leg. After conducting a thorough landing assessment and safely setting down in a treacherous position, Tony Stanley, Flight Officer-Paramedic, egressed from the aircraft and began hiking the terrain to reach the stranded hiker---only for one of the helicopter's main rotor blades to slice into the back of his skull. In an improbable twist, the injured hiker---a U.S. Air Force service member who served as a critical care physician---wound up assisting the severely injured paramedic with emergency medical care for a suspected traumatic brain injury. The swift actions of the Helicopter Pilot-Officer, the physician, and a small group of others nearby---allowed Stanley to make it to a designated trauma center just in time.