Two Baptist Health Floyd employees honored as Good Samaritans

Amy Fell and Kristan Cantrell were honored with first-ever Good Samaritan awards.

Amy Fell was not looking to become a hero when she jumped into a car and performed CPR, desperately trying to save a man who was in cardiac distress.

Kristan Cantrell was not searching for accolades or awards when she ran to a car, following a serious traffic accident, to help one of the drivers.

However, fate had other ideas. Due to their most recent actions, the two Baptist Health Floyd employees were recently honored with first-ever Good Samaritan awards.

Kristan Cantrell, RN, Observation Unit

On this warm, sunny March day, Cantrell drove down State Street to Target during her lunch break. Instead of going into the store, she decided to sit in her car and enjoy the beautiful day.

“Maybe I was there for a reason,” she said.

She found out moments after parking her car why she was there. She heard a loud noise nearby and jumped out of her car. After being told it was a bad car accident, she ran toward State Street to the first car in the mangled mess.

“I slung open the car, not knowing what I was going to see,” she said. “I remember running up and in my mind I was mentally telling myself ‘Kristan, you don’t know what you are going to see, but you have a job to do.’ I was kind of coaching myself as I was running. Thankfully she (driver) was alert and cooperative and helped me help her.”

Once the driver of one of the cars involved told her she could walk, Cantrell pushed the airbag out of the way and led her to an area out of the road in front of Target. Moments after pulling the victim from the wreck, the second car involved became engulfed in flames.

“She was alert; I did a quick assessment and told her who I was. That is when the first poof of smoke came so I said ‘we have to get you out of here.’ As soon as we got across the street that is when the big explosion happened. I kept my eye on her until the EMTs arrived.”

The woman had several severe injuries, but is now home recovering. Cantrell said she remains in contact with the family.

“Her and her family say I am her Guardian Angel, they are so thankful. It is hard because I don’t consider myself like ‘I saved your life.’ I hope I did what anyone else would have done. Timing worked in our favor. Had I not gone over I hope someone else would have. Had the fire department not gotten there when it did her car was just seconds from being in flames.

“After it was all said and done reality set in and I had to sit in my car for a moment and regroup.”

She said she is honored to be recognized, but does not feel worthy of being singled out.

“I really don’t feel deserving,” she said. “I just did what anyone else would have done. There are a lot of good people out there.”

Amy Fell, respiratory therapist

It was a nice day so Fell decided to wait outside the Harrison County Medical Center for her husband to pick her up.

As she was waiting, a car pulled up and the driver jumped out asking if this was the hospital. When she said it was not he said something was wrong with his brother-in-law who was a passenger in the car.

“When I opened the door I knew it was bad,” she said. “I laid the seat back as much as I could and immediately started doing CPR.”

She continued to do CPR until the ambulance arrived. She said she found out later the man had died. She also later learned that she knew the man.

“That is what is so sad. I would have felt better if he had made it,” she said. “He didn’t have a pulse when I started. His brother-in-law said he had went unconscious before he got to parking lot so I don’t know how long he was out.”

Fell said when she saw the man was not breathing, instincts took over. She has been a respiratory therapist for 15 years.

Fell also said she was a little “embarrassed” about being selected for a Good Samaritan award.

“I feel honored but I hope everybody would have done what I did,” she said.