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Sgt. Tyler Rallo of Galloway was taking a break from military training with Sergeants Ryan Cartwright and Scott Dike when the accident occurred, according to the Marine Corps.
The mishap unfolded in Nagano, Japan, last month.
Reichi Sekiguchi, a teenager from Kyoto Prefecture, was enjoying mountain adventures with his family and friends when he experienced a sudden accident, severely cutting the top of his head.
Reichi’s father, Toshiya Sekiguchi, said: “This happened when they were taking the second lift going to the 'expert level' courses … He fell backwards and somehow sliced the top of his head on the edge of the snowboard.”
Dike was the first to notice the chaotic scene.
According to Reichi, he initially felt no pain and thought he could get back down to the lodge, but he and his friends panicked once they saw a substantial amount of blood streaming from the cut, down his face, and dripping onto the white snow.
One of the Marines used hand gestures to communicate with Reichi.
Rallo and Cartwright treated the injury with the first aid kit they brought with them.
Dike made his way down the slope to coordinate with the ski patrol for follow-on care.
“As a Marine, we're constantly training to be there for the Marines to the left and right of us. I think it was within all of us — a natural instinct — that we should help this kid,” Rallo said.
Cartwright and Rallo stayed with Reichi all the way back to the base lodge with the rescue team. Reichi received stitches at the local hospital and has since recovered without any complications.
Reichi’s father shared that he struggled to find the words in English to properly thank the Marines, so he invited them to Kyoto for a dinner. Several weeks later, the Sekiguchi family, with Reichi now fully recovered, were joined by Cartwright, Rallo, and several fellow Marines for an enjoyable night sharing food and stories, according to the Marine Corps.
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