WRIGHT-PATTERSON -- It was a sunny afternoon when Tech. Sgt. Matthew Paine started his commute home Oct. 4, 2019. Driving the same route as usual, Paine soon came upon the intersection of Lower Valley Pike and Enon Rd. in Dayton, Ohio.
As he checked both ways before pulling past the stop sign, Paine noticed an unmanned lawn-mower stuck in the gravel. His training, vigilance and sense of duty kicked in immediately.
“Something didn’t seem right,” said Paine, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center training Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge. “I slowed down and saw that there was an elderly man lying on the ground.”
Paine pulled his truck over and rushed over to the man.
“I ran up to him to see if he was ok,” said Paine. “He told me that he was mowing the grass and fell off. His medical alert device malfunctioned, so he couldn’t call for help and had been lying on the ground for over two hours.”
After checking on the 98-year-old civilian, Paine called an ambulance and waited until emergency medical technicians arrived on the scene. The gentlemen was evaluated and released to his family with minor cuts but no severe injuries.
“TSgt Paine does a lot for this community,” said Master Sgt. Travis Smith, NASIC Education and Training Superintendent. “He always encourages others to take action instead of assuming someone else will take care of [the situation]. The gentleman is very luck it was Matt who saw him.”