Danny Lucas Survived Hunting Accident, Thanks to Sons and Father-in-law
For heroic actions that resulted in a life saved a year ago, three local men were honored with American Red Cross commendations in a Dec. 1 virtual ceremony hosted by the organization’s Central Coast Chapter.
Chad Lucas of Watsonville (left), Raymond Harris of Aptos (second from left), and Danny Lucas Jr. of Watsonville (right) received awards from the Central Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross for the “extraordinary action” each took to save the life of longtime Watsonville Fire Department Capt. Danny Lucas (second from right) following a hunting accident in the wilds of Montana a year ago. • Photo Credit: Shelly Alberi
Danny Lucas Jr. of Watsonville, Chad Lucas of Watsonville, and Raymond Harris of Aptos received awards for the “extraordinary action” each took to save the life of longtime Watsonville Fire Department Capt. Danny Lucas following a hunting accident in the snow-covered hills of Montana.
The American Red Cross awards Certificates of Extraordinary Personal Action to individuals who step up in an emergency situation and help save or sustain a life.
“On behalf of our Central Coast Board of Directors and our chapter’s many volunteers, I was honored to present Red Cross awards to these three individuals,” said Michele Averill, CEO of the local chapter of the Red Cross. “In all likelihood, Danny Lucas would not have survived without the heroic efforts that his family members made in the seconds, minutes, and hours that followed his accident.”
In late November 2019, Lucas was critically injured in the hunting accident when a stray bullet tore through the large femoral artery of his left leg, shattering the femur just above his kneecap.
Jumping to his aid, his sons and father-in-law applied an emergency tourniquet and helped transport Lucas through remote terrain to the nearest hospital two hours away.
“The efforts of these three individuals that day made it possible for Danny to get the emergency care he so desperately needed,” Averill said. “We are so grateful for their heroism.”
Lucas was hospitalized for 41 days, during which he received 24 units of blood. As a result of blood loss and nerve damage, the lower half of his left leg was amputated. But Lucas survived, and he has been continuing his recovery at his Watsonville home since for the past year.
A committed blood donor, Lucas estimates he had given a total of 64 units of blood before his accident. Grateful for the people in Montana who donated the blood that saved his life, Lucas decided to work closely with the Central Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross to promote blood donations and sponsored a blood drive in February in Watsonville.
The collaboration was tremendously successful, as Red Cross workers collected a total of 80 units; a blood drive that nets 30 units is considered successful. In the years for which records exist, the total units collected were the most for any single drive in Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
“Danny’s support of that and other Central Coast blood drives, coming during his own challenging recuperation, is plenty heroic,” Averill added. “But that wasn’t the focus of today’s ceremony. Today, we honored the three people who — through their courageous and compassionate actions that day — saved a life.”
Lucas and his wife, Cindi, attended the virtual ceremony, helping honor sons and Cindi’s father. The ceremony, originally envisioned as an in-person event, was held virtually in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.