By Gary Kohatsu
Real heroes don’t wear masks or don capes and fly like birds. Nor are they armed with futuristic weapons, telekinetic mind control or superhuman powers. That’s in the movies.
A real hero is usually an everyday person. Some of them are even Boy Scouts.
Matthew Groveunder is just such a hero. All he did at age 17, was perform a heroic deed under dire circumstances. He saved his mother who was bleeding heavily from a leg injury sustained in an ATV accident.
Groveunder used his shirt to apply a tourniquet to his mother’s leg until he could get her medical help. The incident took place exactly one year ago to the week — on July 10, 2022, during a vacation in Indiana.
He and his mother, Tracy Nelson, were riding 4-wheelers in the forest area on his aunt and uncle’s property, when she lost control of her ATV at the bottom of a trail, Groveunder said.
Nelson tried to clear a log, when she was knocked off balance and then accidentally “pressed on the throttle.” Her leg was pulled under by the right tire and the ATV launched in the air.
She crashed and her leg sustained a substantial gash.
“I checked on her and noticed an L-style laceration that was similar to a flap open,” Groveunder told the GVN in an email exchange. “Upon noticing the severity of the injury and the amount of blood loss only after less than a minute, I gauged that a tourniquet was required to prevent further blood loss.”
Family members heard Matthew’s screams for help and came to assist him. One person called 911.
Meanwhile, Matthew mounted his 4-wheeler and raced back to his uncle’s home, grabbed towels and returned to further control the bleeding.
The resourceful teen then teamed with family members at the accident site to clear a path for first responders’ arrival.
“We ended up having to create a new trail and use another 4-wheeler with a trailer to transport her as EMS were unable to use a backboard,” Groveunder said. “She was then airlifted to Indianapolis University Hospital, a level 1 trauma center, and was taken into surgery.”
His dad, Shawn Groveunder, said that his son’s quick action was not surprising.
“Matthew has been trained by the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), the Boy Scouts (Troop 719) and the CPR and first-aid classes [I teach],’ Shawn Groveunder told the GVN.
Matthew credits his training to the various service groups.
“CERT taught me about treating injuries like the laceration my mother faced, as well as how to decide on the proper reaction,” he said. “Scouts also taught me these things, but also taught me about hurry cases and the proper steps on checking the scene to make sure there weren’t any other hazards I could have faced while treating my mother. Scouting prepares you more for these events, but CERT definitely makes you aware of the reality of these cases and helps you be more prepared to immediately take action.”
Nelson spent two days in the hospital, then returned home and was expected to make “a good recovery,” Matthew said.
“She is able to walk on her own without assistance and the wound is 100% healed, nerve damage however, will take a lot longer to heal,” he added.
His dad Shawn is an active member of the TRI-City CERT, which is comprised of members from the cities of Gardena, Hawthorne and Lawndale.
He armed his son with a wealth of first-aid and service skills.
Matthew has been a Boy Scout for about 10 years with Troop 719, which is sponsored by Faith United Methodist Church in north Torrance. He completed his Eagle project in December 2022 and was expected to earn his Eagle Scout rank this past spring.
Likewise, he recently graduated from South High in Torrance and has filled his weekend hour working at a dive and surf shop.
In January 2023, Matthew Groveunder was honored by both the City of Gardena and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Gardena station 158 for saving his mother’s life.
His bravery and responsiveness has thus far launched him to great personal heights, so it’s no surprise that his lofty goal in life is to be a pilot.
“I originally decided to become an airline pilot after getting into plane spotting,” Groveunder said. “The whole reason I actually got into plane spotting was because my father was an aircraft mechanic for TWA and would always tell me about aircraft and everything about planes there would be to know.”
Now, in retrospect, Matthew sees flying as a logical step in his life. Only his plan is to man the controls from the cockpit, where his all-around skills will prove invaluable.
