Tuesday, December 9, 2008

not okay

So, I'm not normally one to share anything that happens within MY life on this blog. I may express my opinion, but I never share anything that has happened to me. [Even though sometimes I think I lead quite the interesting life, so maybe I should. Oh well.]

Something that happened this weekend needs to be shared, though. Unfortunately, it's not because it's a hilarious story or something great that happened to me. It's something that I witnessed that was actually very, very terrible.

It was the last home game for Pat White.. The legend of West Virginia. Not only in football, but the entire state is absolutely in love with the guy. But that's besides the point. Everyone was hyped up for the game, and many of us stood out in the FREEZING cold. But after the win, we didn't stop. It was time to celebrate!

I went down to a bar/club called Bent Willey's with a group of friends. None of us were that drunk, so we were basically just getting our night started at 1am when we got there. But some people, were getting ready to end it.

All of the sudden, everyone heard a huge CRASH and shattered glass. We heard it over the music. Over the hundreds of people talking/yelling/singing/whatever. It was one of those eerie sounds that makes you turn around and time seems stopped.

There, just 5 feet away from us, we saw a guy laying face first into the hard floor. His nose was right into the floor, and his arm was out as if he was still holding the beer that was now shattered and spilled all over the floor. He wasn't moving.

The only movement was a crowd getting closer to him, and a group of about 4 guys laughing and taking pictures on their cell phones. No one screamed. No one went to help the guy laying on the floor. The DJ kept spinning and changing the music, and bartenders kept serving drinks. My friends and I stayed still. Just staring.

A couple minutes passed before any employee at the club, or anyone for that matter, checked on the guy who was still lying face flat on the floor. The manager helped turn him over, and check his pulse. They shook their heads when they took it.

Still, the crowd was all around the scene, getting bigger and closer to the guy.

I saw two people trying to do CPR at this point, looking very frustrated because nothing was working. A couple more minutes later, the EMT crew came in, and demanded the lights be turned on, and everyone be kicked out.

The thing is, no one was kicked out. They left the room, but not the club. So as ambulances and firetrucks arrive at the scene, most people remained clueless, and kept partying in the same place that a guy is still lying on the floor, without a pulse.

This is the last I know. We left at this point because it came too much to handle. I don't know if he did in fact end up dying. I don't know if they rushed him to the hospital. I don't know if everything ended up being okay. But no matter what, every part of this story bothers me.

Did he have any friends with him? If he did, why didn't they help him or seem concerned? If not, why didn't he?!

Of course I ask why this happened. He had to have lost his pulse BEFORE falling, based on the lack of a large amount of blood, and the way he fell.

WHY DIDN'T ANYONE HELP HIM?!?! I know there's that thing where people freak out and assume someone else would be a better help.. But the bouncers? The employees at the club? They're so quick to throw out drunkies every other night, why didn't they rush over to see what was up?

Why didn't they kick everyone out when they realized he wasn't okay?! How could they let the crowd around him build up more and more?!

It's just something I want everyone to be aware of. This is something terrible that happened, no matter what ended up happening to him in the end. Please, don't EVER go out alone. Always have someone with you.

When you see someone who needs help, either help them, or find someone who will. RIGHT AWAY! I know I didn't do this at the time, but I should have. Thank goodness someone I was with did tell the bartender, who apparently "had no idea."

I won't lie. I drink alcohol. I've been drunk. But this kid either had WAY too much, or mixed it with something he shouldn't have. Please, guys, be careful when you're out having fun and whatever. Some ideas could backfire, real bad, real quick. Just because it didn't hurt someone else, doesn't mean it won't hurt you.

But that's my mommy post for the year. I hope this kid is okay. With all of my heart, I really do. And my heart and prayers go out to his family and friends, either way.

love,
elizabethany

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