Two North Carolina Wildlife officers, identified as Officer Eric Burkhalter and Sergeant Brandon Lyon, are being acknowledged for their prompt assistance to a 3-year-old girl who sustained a serious leg injury at Lake Norman. The incident occurred around 6:20 p.m. last July 5, while the officers were on boat patrol near McCrary Creek. Approached by a distressed family, the officers found the mother cradling her daughter, who had a severe laceration on her leg. QC News reports that Burkhalter, who had received Tactical Combat Casualty Care training while serving in the U.S. military, managed to promptly apply a tourniquet to stem the bleeding.
Following the initial emergency care, Burkhalter piloted the boat to the McCrary Creek Access, while Lyon coordinated with emergency services. Burkhalter then carried the injured child to the awaiting medical responders and the Mooresville Fire Department. According to WBTV, "Realizing time was of the essence, Burkhalter ran with the child lying in his arms up the dock and up the steep hill at the ramp to meet the medical first responders and Mooresville Fire Department."
The severity of the girl's wounds necessitated her transfer to a Level 1 trauma hospital in Charlotte. A statement obtained by NC Wildlife Resources Commission Instagram accoun revealed that Burkhalter stayed with the child and helped the medical team in obtaining vital signs. This detail emphasizes the officers' commitment to ensuring the well-being of the child beyond their initial act of rescue.
The NC Wildlife Resources Commission has commended officers Burkhalter and Lyon for their quick thinking and heroic actions. The girl's father informed the officers the next day that his daughter was doing well and was expected to make a full recovery. The Commission's statement, shared in a QC News article, echoed a sentiment of gratitude for the officers' swift response, which likely played a crucial role in the positive outcome of this emergency situation.
