LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles-based Coast Guardsman will be awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Feb. 19, for rescuing a motorcyclist who slid off an embankment near Arcadia, Calif.
Chief Petty Officer Brook Bossen is a Maritime Enforcement Specialist assigned to the Force Protection unit of Maritime Safety and Security Team Los Angeles-Long Beach.
Bossen was returning from a camping trip in the Angeles National Forest with his family and a Cub Scout troop, Oct. 27, 2013, when he witnessed a motorcyclist lose control and fall over the edge of an embankment. Without hesitation, he made his way down to a rocky outcropping 30-feet below the road. Using his knowledge as a certified combat lifesaver, Bossen assessed the motorcyclist’s injuries and, with limited supplies, improvised a splint for the victim’s broken leg using tree branches to immobilize it and prevent further injury. Afterward he created a makeshift harness and successfully hoisted the person up the side of the embankment to the road. Bossen comforted and watched over the victim until emergency medical technicians arrived.
Not only did Bossen’s actions aid the severely injured motorcyclist; but also served as an invaluable teaching experience for the cub scouts that looked on and saw the importance of keeping alert and calm in stressful situations.
