Published: April 17, 2007 11:27 pm      

Story of survival hits close to home

BERLIN — An enduring image from the horrific massacre on the Virginia Tech campus shows two police officers frantically carrying a bloodied student away from Norris Hall.

The photo hit close to home for Berlin Brothersvalley Middle School teacher Mike Bertuzzi.

Bertuzzi identified the student survivor as his step-nephew, Kevin Sterne, 22, of Eighty Four, Washington County.

“Right now, we have to pray for his health,” said Bertuzzi, 42, of Meyersdale, a special education teacher.

“At this point, I don’t even know if he knows the magnitude of the situation.”

Sterne remains hospitalized after being shot twice in the leg. One of only six students in a German class at Norris Hall to survive the shooting, Sterne was set to graduate in three weeks, Bertuzzi said.

“His artery was shot,” he said. “He found an electrical cord, and created a tourniquet. He basically saved his own life.”

Dr. David Stoeckle, the medical chief of staff at Montgomery County Regional Hospital, refused to name victims during a televised news conference, but he mentioned Sterne’s case.

“He lost 3 centimeters out of his femoral artery of his right leg,” Stoeckle said. “He wrapped a wire cord, apparently from something electrical that was in that classroom.

“He wrapped it tightly, and I think he had one of the other students help him, wrap this around his leg because he knew he was bleeding to death.”

When rescue personnel reached the student, they applied another tourniquet.

“Without him taking care of himself initially, and then the emergency medical technicians putting (the tourniquet) on his leg, I think there is a good chance that he would have died,” Stoeckle said.

Bertuzzi said Sterne’s parents, Suzanne Grimes of Washington County and Randy and Sheri Sterne of Cumberland, Md., visited their son at the hospital Monday night.

“He’s stable,” Bertuzzi said midday Wednesday. “He’s in with doctors now.”

Bertuzzi said he didn’t immediately realize the student in the photograph shown on CNN and other news outlets was Sterne.

“When we saw the picture on TV, his face was shielded by the officers carrying him,” Bertuzzi said, adding that his sister confirmed Sterne’s identity later. “But when we looked at the physical build of this person, and the injuries, we thought it had to be him.

“We were glued to the TV.”

Stoeckle indicated Sterne’s condition was improving.

“I can tell you that my student, who had the injury, is doing very well,” Stoeckle said. “He’s stable. I think he’s going to be here for a while. But I’m very pleased at his progress.”



Staff writer Eric Knopsynder contributed to this story.