VIDEO – Citizen Helps Rescue Shooting Victim with Tourniquet: ‘Thankfully, I Was There’

A man is being thanked for helping save the life of a shooting victim on Saturday in Orlando, Florida.

The unnamed citizen told Fox 35 he was entering the Texas Roadhouse restaurant on Semoran Boulevard when the emergency situation unfolded, the outlet reported Monday.

A man whom he believed had been shot needed help, so the citizen immediately removed his shirt to make a tourniquet.

He pulled out a knife, cut off one sleeve, and made a knot over the victim’s wound in an effort to save his life.

A tourniquet is described as a band tied securely around a person’s arm or leg to staunch the flow of blood once the person has been wounded, according to VeryWell Health.

“They are used to slow bleeding until emergency care can be administered,” the site read.

Video footage shows a man using a strip of cloth and a stick to create a makeshift tourniquet:

When the initial incident unfolded that afternoon, a man who was in a car that was rear-ended exited to talk with a Nissan Murano’s driver. However, the Murano’s driver reportedly got into the victim’s car, grabbed his backpack, and the pair began arguing The Murano driver flashed a gun and allegedly shot another person before fleeing in his own vehicle.

Video footage shows officials at the scene:

The citizen later explained that as everything was happening, “I thought of my kids. It’s rough. But, hopefully, he’ll be alright.”

Not long after his daughter called 911 for help, crews arrived and expressed their gratitude to the citizen for knowing what to do.

“They said if it weren’t for me, he probably would have bled out. Thankfully I was there,” he recalled, noting he hopes others will hear the story and be brave enough to help when they are needed.

Authorities have since deemed the incident an attempted robbery and attempted murder case, but they do not yet have any information regarding the suspect.

Anyone with more information is asked to call the Orlando Police Department 321-235-5300 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).