Good Samaritan Saves Injured Teen, Thanks "Shark Week" for Guidance


Robert Nicholas may be the best advertisement for Discovery Channel's annual "Shark Week" yet. Without any formal medical training, Nicholas applied knowledge he gained from watching one of the network's shows to come to the aid of an injured 16-year-old.

Bailey Mcgroarty and three other teens suffered injuries after their Jeep overturned in the town of Boston, New York, last Thursday. According to a New York State Police report, Mcgroarty's friend lost control of the Jeep when he drove off onto the unpaved shoulder and overcorrected, causing the vehicle to overturn. Mcgroarty sustained an arm laceration with arterial bleeding.


More on Yahoo! Shine: Heart Attack Survivor Meets Mystery Hero Who Saved His Life

"I remember screaming for help as a car drove by," Mcgroarty told WGRZ. When Nicholas saw the teens, he immediately pulled over.

Nicholas is not a doctor, and he said he doubted that he would be able to help, as "there was a lot of blood." Another passenger in the Jeep had reportedly attempted to stop the bleeding by applying a tourniquet, but it wasn't effective. When Nicholas arrived on the scene, he had more success, crediting tips he gleaned about life-saving tourniquets during last week's Discovery Channel "Shark Week" marathon. So he got to work and assisted the teens until paramedics arrived.

"The tourniquet probably did save his life, due to the amount of blood he was losing," New York State Police Department Officer Richard Casperek told Yahoo! Shine. Neither Mcgroarty nor Nicholas had returned Shine's requests for comment by Tuesday evening.

More on Yahoo!: Shark Week Mockumentary Upsets Fans

Michael Mcgroarty, Bailey's father, didn't know just how horrific the accident truly was until later. He said to WGRZ, "What his friends did, what Robert did, it's just amazing."

On Sunday, Nicholas visited the four teens after Mcgroarty was released from the hospital. Through tears, Mcgroarty shook hands with his hero, adding, "I just want to say, I am grateful."

More on Shine:
Hero 13-Year-Old Saves Sisters From Burning Van
Stranded Group Rescued After Writing 'Send for Help' in Sand
Good Samaritan Pays Stranger's Baggage Fee at Airport