Airplane parts were scattered across the airfield at Texarkana Regional Airport Friday and an injured woman clutched her bleeding arm as she was loaded onto a stretcher.
Thankfully, the scenario was part of a mock emergency airport drill at Texarkana Regional Airport.
The airport is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to participate in the training every three years, said Russell Henderson, operating director at the airport.
"It's a full scale emergency exercise. We do it every three years and its the third one I've done," Henderson said.
Texarkana, Ark., Police and Fire Departments along with a few officers and firefighters from the Texas-side. Life Net employees and emergency management teams from Bowie and Miller counties along with several surrounding counties also attended the training.
The training simulates an airplane crash. The plane is torn in half and there are a couple of simulated deceased victims.
"There is a lot of reality to it. I think it brings it home to the first responders how a real airport disaster would look," Henderson said.
Texarkana College nursing students played the wounded victims. Several were on stretchers carried to waiting ambulances. They had bloody injuries that required triage and treatment, Others were described as "the walking wounded."
"We are very thankful for the TC nursing students because without them we would not be able to do this," Henderson said.
Henderson said it takes about a year's worth of meetings to plan the event.
"It's going really well today. We have had beautiful weather for it," Henderson said.