A man who rushed to help four crew members after they ejected from military jets in Mountain Home, Idaho, said the pilots remained focused on others’ safety.
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho — A man who was among the first to reach four crew members after they ejected from military jets near Mountain Home Air Force Base is sharing his firsthand account of the shocking crash.
Steven Everett told KTVB he was watching an air show from a nearby field when he saw the crash happen and immediately ran toward the scene to help.
“They hit pretty hard,” Everett said. “They were pretty low altitude.”
Everett said he rushed to the area where the crew members landed. Despite the severity of the crash, he said all four were conscious and moving around when help arrived.
“Everybody was honestly pretty good,” he said. “We got to them when they landed. They were up and moving around. We made sure everything was OK.”
He said one crew member suffered cuts to the face from the impact of glasses during the ejection, while another appeared to suffer a concussion.
“We stabilized them until the rest of the medics showed up,” he said.
Everett said what stood out most was how the crew members reacted in the aftermath of the crash.
“The captain that came down, he was only concerned about if anyone else got hurt,” Everett said. “That’s all they cared about. They’re the best.”
After realizing all four crew members were ok, Everett described an emotional moment shared between the aircrew.
“That was the biggest hug I ever had,” she said. “I hugged all four of them. I was happy to see them up. I was glad to see them be good.”