Man Uses Shirt As Tourniquet To Save Motorcyclist's Life

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Side-swiped on his motorcycle by a car on his way home, a North Texas man is alive and recovering in part because of one man's split-second decision.

"I thought he was going to be dead," said David Hine of Keller.

On his way home from work, Hine watched in horror as a man was knocked off his motorcycle along the access road of Interstate 35 and Heritage Trace Parkway.

Almost immediately, his military instincts kicked from his time in the U.S. Air Force.

"Minutes man, that's all it takes. Minutes can be the justifying decision between life or death," said Hine.

To stop the bleeding from the victim's head, Hine used the shirt off of his back and applied pressure.

"Why not man? I needed something," said Hine.

But as he worked to keep the victim conscious, someone else was on his mind. His friend Zach Firlin, died one year ago in a motorcycle wreck.

"He had a wife and a baby on the way. A lady ran a stop sign and came out in front of him," said Hine as he wiped away tears.

With his emotions running high, Hine hit record on his camera phone.

"I think seeing the emotion first hand, I thought it would do good for people," said Hine.
The video was posted to Facebook on Thursday. It now has more than 20,000 views and dozens of encouraging comments.

"I mean I don't expect anything less," said Ashley Hine, his spouse.

His wife and many others call Hine a hero. But if you ask him, Hine remains humble to his core.

"I was just helping somebody and people happened to see. If a lot of people could take away some good from it, you know pass it on," said Hine.

Friends of the victim said he is in serious condition, but stable. They said he remembers Hine helping him and is grateful.

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