YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- The small, mint green vehicle rocked slightly as two men got in and shut their doors, trying their best to escape the stifling humidity outside. As the engine turned over and the air conditioning began to blast, a rippling tone rang out in the cabin of the car. Senior Airman Alexander Daly never imagined that his next phone call would mean life or death..
It was a typical Monday morning in mid-July. Daly was headed off to begin his work as a 374th Maintenance Group operations center controller, and his roommate, Senior Airman Andrew Nowling, to start his as a 374th Maintenance Squadron aircraft fuel systems journeyman.
Wyatt Ellsworth mobile,” flashed across Daly’s phone screen as it rang, and he didn’t think much of his best friend giving him a call.
The pair originally met in technical school in early 2021. They spent two months there and afterward were sent to separate short-tour bases in the Republic of Korea. It was by chance that they were stationed together once again at Yokota Air Base a year later.
“Immediately in my head, I’m thinking, he probably just got off the night shift. What’s he trying to do, go to breakfast or something?” Daly recounted moments before taking the call that morning.
When he answered the phone, all he heard was loud, gasping breaths coming from the other line.
“Hey…I…can’t…catch my breath.”
Daly’s mind raced as he tried to assess the situation, “Where is he? What’s going on? What do I need to do?”
He urged Nowling and instructed him to drive straight to Ellsworth's building. Upon arrival, he rushed into the tower and through Ellsworth’s unlocked door to find him lying on the floor.
“He was just breathing heavily, starfished out on the floor and his entire body was straining,” said Daly. “I knew we had to get him to the hospital quick.”
Daly heaved Ellsworth up and maneuvered him as fast as he could into the tower elevator and down to the waiting vehicle. With Nowling's help, the two were able to load his inflexible body into the passenger seat.
“It was a struggle just to get him into the car because his whole body was stiff as a board,” said Daly. “On the ride over, he couldn’t even talk, all his facial muscles were tight, jaw was clenched and he was just huffing and puffing.”
The three swiftly proceeded to the 374th Medical Group urgent care center. Daly and Nowling escorted him into the building, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the waiting room. A medical professional quickly led them to a patient room, sedating Ellsworth and applying cold compresses all over his body.
After some assessments, the medical team came to a diagnosis—heat exhaustion.
Daly sat in the chair beside Ellsworth for the next few hours and waited as his condition stabilized.
When Ellsworth woke up he recounted how he’d ended up in such a state. He’d just finished a physical fitness test and was walking home when he began to feel extremely hot. Sweating profusely and unable to catch his breath, he felt himself on the verge of passing out. He sat down on a bench and tried to catch his breath. Twice, individuals stopped to ask if Ellsworth was okay. The second time, the individual assisted him to his tower and then to his room.
“I couldn’t remember the people who stopped to help me or even remember calling Daly,” admitted Senior Airman Wyatt Ellsworth, 374th MXS aircraft fuel systems journeyman. “I’m just extremely thankful.”
Ellsworth has since separated from the military and returned to the United States. However, even though the two friends have parted ways, they won’t be quick to forget the unsettling experience.
“I like to think it's just being a friend,” said Daly. “If any of my friends are in trouble, I hope that they can call me, and I hope that if I’m ever in a situation like that, I can call upon any one of my friends to come help me.”