DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The Premier Health CareFlight team saves countless lives each year. A Miami Valley man remembers the lifesaving flight he took more than 30 years ago.
“CareFlight actually saved my life in more ways than one,” said George Pepper.
This week, a CareFlight crew was able to show 79-year-old George Pepper the plane they fly every day to save lives in the Miami Valley. The experience reminded Pepper of his own flight 36 years ago.
“I remember thinking everything was going to be OK because the guys were good,” Pepper said.
Pepper was working at a car dealership in Vandalia on May 18, 1988, when he tried to start a sports car and the accelerator pedal got stuck.
“The last thing I remember is looking at the speedometer; it read 80,” Pepper said.
CareFlight flew Pepper to the hospital. His left lung had collapsed and his right lung was no longer functioning.
But thanks to CareFlight’s quick action, he survived.
A few weeks after the accident, Pepper had his right lung removed. He was told he would no longer be able to work, but he was determined.
“I said I want to be on the other side of that ventilator,” Pepper said.
Just a few months later, Pepper enrolled at Sinclair Community College. Five years later, he began his career as a respiratory therapist at Good Samaritan Hospital.
“They saved my life. And I turned around and I think I helped save some lives in the hospital,” Pepper said.
Although Pepper was unable to meet with the original CareFlight team on the day of his accident, he is grateful for the opportunity to thank each and every one of them for the work they did.
“To this day, every time I see a CareFlight, I pray,” Pepper said.
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