PROVIDENCE – On May 15, 2020 just after 1 p.m. Porter Sealy and his five siblings were on a hike in the foothills above Providence. It was his sister Evy’s birthday and Porter and his brother Skyler had built a tree fort and planned the hike for everyone. They made their way about a mile to the tree and climbed up to the fort.
Little brother Skyler climbed up a little higher than everyone and decided to jump to the ground. On his way down his leg caught a branch leaving a gaping wound about 6 inches long and cut to the bone. The 13-year old Eagle Scout knew exactly what to do.
“It was bleeding pretty bad, so I used my Scout training and took off my shirt and made a tourniquet to stop the bleeding,” Porter said. “At first I was going to make a stretcher, but when I went to go for the logs I saw a rattlesnake and decided I needed to do something different.”
Porter is a member of Troop 2 of the Boy Scouts of America Crossroads of the West Council. He hoisted Skyler on his back and carried him down the trail.
One of his sisters called their mother Jeanell and she met them at the trail head.
She took one look at him and took him right to the doctor.
Skyler’s wound took 37 sticthes to close. He still has a scar on his shin.
Porter’s Scout Master Doug Walker announced recently that Porter would receive the Boy Scouts of America’s prestigious Medal of Merit award on Thursday Sept. 24, for potentially saving the life of his younger brother.
The Medal of Merit is awarded to Scouts, even adult Scouters, who have performed some act of meritorious service above and beyond that normally expected of a youth or adult member of the Boy Scouts of America. This act may involve a lifesaving effort, but it could also be awarded for other exemplary scouting actions.
The Court of Honor will be held at the pavilion at Heber Olsen Park in River Heights at 7 p.m.
Porter’s mother Jeanell said everyone she talked too said it was a big deal.
“He is honored to get the award,” she said. “Porter told me he wasn’t thinking about the award he was just trying to get Skyler off the mountain.”
The award was approved by the National Scout Office in Dallas Texas.
“He’s a good kid and he deserved then honor,” she said. “He is an avid scouter and he loves it.”
Crossroads of the West Council Advancement Chairman Pualani Graham received the paperwork and was impressed with Porter’s actions and felt like the award was fitting for him.
“He took off his shirt and used it to stop the bleeding, he had his first aid kit, gave his brother Motrin to ease the pain then carried his brother down the trail,” she said. “Then he had one of sisters call their mother and had her meet them at the trailhead.”
Graham said because he used skills that he learned as a Boy Scout to help is brother, he deserves the award.
“I am going to do the presentation,” she said. “I live in Eagle Mountain and have traveled around the state a lot for scouting and I think it so important that I am there to present it.”
She said her heart goes out to heroes like Porter who use their scout training to help people.
“We need examples like him to boost others up,” she said. “You never know when something like this is going to help people around them become better individuals.”
The Crossroads of the West Scout Executive Allen Endicott is also expected to attend the award ceremony.
Porter you are an awesome kid.It makes me happy to know there are still kids that value the boy Scout program and the things they can learn from it.It is such a great program and it is so important to teach kids general safety and first aid skills.Many kids and adults now days don’t know these,let alone survival skills.I am so grateful for kids like you and boy Scout leaders who still value the great work of Robert Baden Powell’s program.way to go kiddo!