Some politicians talk about serving their country.
Others actually know how to save lives when it counts.
And Navy SEAL Congressman Derrick Van Orden just proved there’s a world of difference between the two with one incredible act of heroism.
Wisconsin Hero Springs Into Action After Horrific Crash
Congressman Derrick Van Orden wasn’t looking to be a hero on Saturday, August 16.
He and his family were driving on I-35 about an hour outside Des Moines, heading to a memorial for his daughter who had passed away two years earlier.
That’s when Van Orden heard what he described as a "massive, massive boom" on the interstate.¹
A 41-year-old woman – suspected of being impaired at the time – had crashed her minivan directly into a semi truck parked on the side of the road.²
The truck driver had pulled over for a mechanical issue and was preparing to re-enter traffic when disaster struck.
But it was the 11-year-old passenger in that minivan who was fighting for his life.
The boy had suffered catastrophic injuries that would have killed most people.
An arterial bleed in his right wrist was gushing blood, and his calf wounds were so severe that his tibia and fibula bones were completely visible through the torn flesh.³
Most people would have panicked or waited for professional help to arrive.
Van Orden isn’t most people.
Former Navy SEAL Turns Everyday Items Into Life-Saving Equipment
Here’s where Van Orden’s military training kicked into overdrive.
The Wisconsin Congressman sprinted to his truck and grabbed the first things he could find – two pairs of socks from his suitcase.
"Then I put up two constricting bands because there wasn’t enough for a tourniquet," Van Orden explained to reporters.⁴
But he wasn’t done yet.
When other bystanders arrived at the scene, Van Orden asked if anyone had a knife.
Someone handed him a carpet cutter, and that’s when this Navy SEAL showed everyone what real problem-solving looks like under pressure.
Van Orden cut the seatbelts out of the crashed vehicle and used them as makeshift tourniquets for the boy’s arm and leg to stop the massive bleeding.
"I’m not just a Navy SEAL, I’m a combat medic," Van Orden told Fox News. "That was essentially a wound of war."⁵
The Congressman knew exactly what he was looking at – and how little time they had.
"When I saw the entire side of his leg was missing, that’s from his knee down to his ankle, and he was bleeding in his right wrist, and from my experience, there’s a high likelihood he would have bled to death before the ambulance showed up," Van Orden said.⁶
The Moment That Shows What Real Leadership Looks Like
Look, here’s what this story really shows you about the difference between politicians who actually served and the ones who just talk about it.
Van Orden didn’t hesitate for a second when he saw that kid bleeding to death on the side of the road.
He didn’t wait for someone else to take charge or worry about liability or any of the other excuses people make when things get tough.
The man assessed the situation, used his training, and improvised with whatever materials he could find to save a life.
You want to know what real American values look like in action? This is it.
Here’s a Congressman who was driving to memorialize his own daughter – dealing with one of the most painful experiences any parent can face – and he still had the presence of mind and courage to jump into action when someone else’s child needed help.
Both the boy and the impaired driver were airlifted to nearby hospitals, and Van Orden made sure to visit the 11-year-old on Monday.⁷
The kid thanked him personally for saving his life.
But here’s the part that’ll hit you right in the gut – Van Orden also spoke with the boy’s father.
"I was able to speak to his dad, who clearly didn’t know that our daughter had passed, and I said, ‘Sir, our daughter passed two years ago, and I’m very thankful that you don’t have to share that experience.’ It was a very humbling moment with his dad," Van Orden recalled.⁸
That’s what character looks like when nobody’s watching and the cameras aren’t rolling.
What This Says About the Kind of Leaders We Need
Here’s the thing that should make every American proud – we still have people like Derrick Van Orden serving in Congress.
This is a guy who knows how to actually solve problems instead of just talking about them on cable news shows.
When an 11-year-old kid was minutes away from bleeding to death, Van Orden didn’t call a committee meeting or issue a press release about the need for better highway safety.
He grabbed some socks and a carpet cutter and got to work saving a life.
That’s the difference between someone who’s actually been in the trenches and the career politicians who’ve never faced a real crisis in their lives.
Van Orden’s military background as a Navy SEAL and combat medic gave him the skills and mindset to act decisively when it mattered most.
But it was his character as a human being that made him stop and help in the first place.
We need more leaders like this – people who understand that public service sometimes means literally putting yourself between danger and the people you’re sworn to protect.
The Iowa State Patrol has opened an OWI drug investigation into the driver who caused this crash, as they should.⁹
But thanks to one Congressman who actually knows what he’s doing under pressure, a family didn’t have to plan a funeral instead of visiting their son in the hospital.
That’s what heroes do – they show up when it counts, they use whatever tools they have available, and they don’t quit until the job is done.
¹ KCCI Des Moines, "Wisconsin Congressman Saves 11-Year-Old’s Life After Crash," August 26, 2025.
² Iowa State Patrol Crash Report, "I-35 Vehicle Collision Report," August 16, 2025.
³ Fox News, "Navy SEAL Congressman Saves Boy’s Life Using Socks and Seatbelt," August 26, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ People Magazine, "Congressman Saves 11-Year-Old’s Life After Using Two Pairs of Socks," August 26, 2025.
⁸ Fox News, "Navy SEAL Congressman Saves Boy’s Life Using Socks and Seatbelt," August 26, 2025.
⁹ Iowa State Patrol, "OWI Investigation Ongoing," August 16, 2025.
