Tragedy struck Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017 when a gunman opened fire on an outdoor concert, causing the deadliest mass shooting committed by an individual in the US. While many news reports have been released on this incident and many tales have been told, including a local resident’s experience, the medical aspect of the shooting is one that deserves to have light shed on it as well.
Paula Wilstead Clark, who grew up in Carbon County and currently resides in Arizona, played a part in assisting those that were injured during the shooting. Wilstead Clark has been a helicopter nurse for the past 17 years and frequently transports patients to the Las Vegas area with her partner Amy Wiatrolik.
Wilstead Clark and Wiatrolik happened to be making a transport to the Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas on Oct. 1. As the duo were gearing up to depart to the helipad in Arizona, they heard the call come out that there was a mass shooting in Las Vegas. At the time, that was all that was known. The emergency room physician in charge that night, Dr. Menez, alerted all that there would be mass casualties.
According to Wilstead Clark, within a few minutes, victims started to arrive via ambulance as well as in the back of trucks and other vehicles. The partners chose to stay and assist the team for over four hours. Wilstead Clark said that halfway through assisting, she asked the Las Vegas team if they would like she and her partner to leave, and it was requested that they stay and continue to help.
“I know that over the four hour period I was there, there were over 200 major traumas and an additional 80 to 100 traumas that weren’t considered critical,” Wilstead Clark recalled.
For their hard work and dedication, Wilstead Clark and her partner Wiatrolik were awarded with plaques and a letter of recognition from Flagstaff Medical Center, where they are employed, for going above and beyond to assist people and serve the community. The duo have also been nominated for the Living Our Values (LOV) Award.