Twins help save girl's life

11/21/2003 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) -- Teamwork and the immediate actions of two 7-year old boys here helped save a girl's life recently.

The twin brothers, Mark and Matthew Jordan, are second-graders at Cummings Elementary School and were playing at a playground when they noticed something out of the ordinary. A 7-year-old girl was hanging from a piece of playground equipment by her bike helmet.

"Their first response was to unbuckle the helmet," said the boys father, Lt. Col. Mike Jordan, who commands the 14th Fighter Squadron. "This didn't work; so Matthew and Mark separated. Mark ran to get adult help while Matthew climbed (up) to dislodge the helmet.

At first, Matthew could not get the helmet unstuck, his father said.

"Matthew continued to push the helmet until it finally freed the girl, allowing her to fall to the ground. He stayed with the girl until Mark returned with medical assistance," the elder Jordan said.

The boys father said he and his wife, Jodi, were both proud of their sons' response.

"Mark and Matthew remained calm and worked together to help the girl," he said. "Twins learn early-on the advantage of working together -- whether it's sharing toys or double teaming mom and dad. I don't think it was a conscious decision at the time; it just came naturally based on seven years of shared experiences.

"Like most parents, we have talked to our kids about what to do if one of them gets hurt or in some sort of trouble," he said. "We were very pleased at how they responded."

Since the incident, the girl has fully recovered.