LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Twenty years ago, Demetrius McDowell lost his best friend to gun violence.
"I walked in the house like seconds after he was shot," he said. "It was an accident, but all the same, this is like my brother laying here, and there's nothing I can do other than ... the only thing I knew was just don't move him."
And McDowell was one of two dozen people who spent Tuesday afternoon learning how to save a life in situations just like that. The "Stop the Bleed" training at the Louisville Central Community Center is part of a national campaign created to teach bystanders how to apply tourniquets, pack wounds and control the bleeding.
"If it's too sharp down there, what are you going to do?" asked Kim Denzik, who is an RN and Trauma Program Manager at University of Louisville Hospital. "You can feel bone. You can feel the muscle."
Dr. Bill Smock, MD, a surgeon with LMPD, said whether it's a shooting, car crash or an accident at home, what happens in the next few minutes could be the difference between life and death.
"If we can prevent someone from bleeding out on the scene, we will save hundreds of lives," Smock said. "I've seen thousands of gunshot wounds, and the training they're providing here is lifesaving."
That's the goal, and it's why McDowell gave up part of his day to learn something he hopes to never have to use.
"It's the times we live in ... school shootings, employee shootings," McDowell said. "It's always good to know if I ever ran into that situation."
Health experts say even if you can help control the bleeding, the victim should always be rushed to a trauma center.
The next "Stop the Bleeding" training will be in May.Â
To sign up and get more information, click here.
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