South Kohala Officer Brian Beckwith was honored as the Hawai‘i Island Security and Safety Professionals Association (HISSPA) Officer of the Quarter for Q4 2021.
On November 14, 2021, Officer Beckwith responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision in the area of the 3.5 mile marker on Kohala Mountain Road. Being the first to arrive on the scene, he determined that the victim was driving his 2016 Yamaha motorcycle north on Kohala Mountain Road towards Hawi when he lost control and struck a guardrail. He then quickly assessed that the victim had sustained serious bodily injuries requiring immediate intervention to save the motorcyclist’s life.
Officer Beckwith applied his department-issued tourniquet to the victim’s left leg and staunched the bleeding. The motorcyclist was then transported to the Queens North Hawaii Community Hospital by ambulance for treatment. Medical professionals at the hospital praised Officer Beckwith’s quick thinking, and his excellent application of the tourniquet, stating that he saved the victim’s life by controlling the bleeding. It was further related that without the application of the tourniquet, the victim would have suffered major blood loss that could have resulted in his death.
As a combat medic, Officer Beckwith recognized the value of tourniquets and advocated for their use before they became standard department issue.
Photo credit: HPD
