Nearly seven hours from their home stadium in Oconomowoc, three members of the Lake Country DockHounds immediately sprang into action when they encountered a seriously injured cyclist, said Bryan Giese, the team’s marketing and communications director.
On Aug. 7, an elderly bicyclist suffered a serious head injury in a collision with a pedestrian in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Giese said.
The DockHounds, a member of the American Association of Professional Baseball, were in town for a series with the Sioux Falls Canaries and had a game that evening.
Players Marek Chlup and Demetrius Sims and sports reporter Dominic Stearn were on their way to a quick lunch in the Sioux Falls area when they discovered the aftermath of the collision, Giese said.
Since the men had no experience in first aid, they acted instinctively and helped the unconscious cyclist.
Sims said the trio ran to the crashed cyclist when they saw the scene before them. When they arrived on the scene, each man took on a task to help the injured cyclist, Sims said.
“I was scared at first,” Sims said. “It was pretty traumatic, I have to admit. There was a lot of blood.”
Chlup ran a quarter mile to get additional aid and medical supplies from a nearby building. Sims stayed with the injured man while Stearn directed paramedics to the scene.
“When you see a person lying on the ground with a bleeding head, you want to help,” Chlup said. “Our first reaction was to run there, and when I realized what was needed, I kept running to get help.”
The Journal Sentinel was unable to obtain updated information on the man’s condition.
DockHounds owner Tom Kelenic said this is the kind of action the organization wants to see.
“We always strive to hire good people and these three have definitely proven that,” Kelenic said.
DockHounds manager Ken Huckaby said he was proud to see three young men who are part of the organization volunteer to help someone in need.
“Honestly, if I’m going to bring in players, I’d rather have one with strong character and average talent than one with strong talent and weak character, because those strong personalities build a culture,” Huckaby said. “And culture is the key to winning.”
In an August 14 post on X (formerly Twitter), Stearn praised the teammates he and he helped the cyclist.
“Demetrius and Marek are fantastic baseball players, but these two are even better gentlemen,” Stearn wrote.
Contact Angelika Ytuarte at [email protected].
