True Stories

I am an assistant chief range officer, and our range is used for law enforcement training and is open to the general public. I was working the firing line one night when our lighting system downrange went out. Since the facility had lights working properly in other areas, we decided to allow the range to remain open.

During one of the cease-fire pauses, we checked to see that the line was safe. Upon giving the line-is-hot command, I thought I saw some movement downrange. I drew my Surefire M6® Guardian® and shined it downrange (a distance of approximately 130 yards). You can imagine my surprise when I spotted an individual standing downrange! Apparently he did not hear my command to return to the firing line. Needless to say, I immediately called a cease fire. The very nervous guy who was downrange thanked me repeatedly when he returned to the firing line.

All of the other range officers were amazed at the amount of intense, focused light my M6 produced. With the 500-lumen lamp installed, the others present said it looked like an aircraft landing light. This light truly is a portable searchlight!

I just wanted to thank you for making such a quality product. And I know of at least one other person from that night who's equally as grateful.

Lawrence F.
Lindenhurst, NY

I use my SureFire E2E Executive Elite® every day in the emergency room at Ibn Sina Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. One lifesaving but risky procedure we unfortunately have to perform fairly often involves making an incision on the left side and pumping a patient's heart by hand while the patient's aorta is clamped to shunt blood to only the most vital organs (heart, lungs, and brain). Getting to the aorta is hard enough without being able to see inside of a dark chest cavity, but my SureFire is small enough to avoid being in the way and bright enough to operate by its light. Whether it's a quick wound check, assessing and extracting casualties from vehicles at the gate, or reaching into a major injury to clamp an artery, my SureFire lights the way.

Tom W.
Baghdad, Iraq

While helping to extricate a man from a car that had merged with a tree, my SureFire L2 LumaMax® proved to be invaluable. Our fire truck's lanterns were too big to throw a tight beam, and the flashlights clipped to our SCBAs are always pointed in the wrong direction. I simply clipped my L2 onto the shield of my helmet, using its sturdy pocket clip, and presto—there was plenty of light! On high beam it lit up the entire work area with flawless white light.

In the year that I've had this light, it has never left my side. Once I've saved enough for a U2 Ultra™, it will be living permanently in my turnout gear. Thanks for making the best, SureFire!

William S.
Middleton, WI

I was in Florida with my grandmother when a tornado plowed through her house and totally destroyed it. It was pitch dark out, and I was awakened from bed as the tornado was approaching. There was no power and no light from the moon, making the conditions pitch black. I found my way to a safe place in the basement, where my grandmother and I had planned to meet in such an incident. When I went to the basement room, she was not there as the tornado went through the house.

After the storm subsided, I searched the house, now destroyed, with my SureFire Kroma® and found my 89-year-old grandmother seriously injured and unable to move. Not only did the light help me find my grandmother, it helped me flag down a paramedic unit searching our road. If it hadn't been for my Kroma, I would not have been able to see anything!

My grandmother and I are extremely grateful to SureFire for making such a superior product.

Nate S.
New Hampton, NY

I am a paramedic who splits his time between two jobs. The first is performing critical care inter-facility transports for a large urban health system, and the second is as a 911 paramedic in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Some time ago I purchased your L4 Digital LumaMax®. I have to admit, the light seemed to carry a hefty price tag relative to other tactical illuminators on the market; however, the cheaper models were just not holding up, and I rely on my flashlight in some pretty unusual circumstances. But after the events of this evening, I would gladly pay twice the asking price for this light.

On the way back from a call, my partner and I were flagged down by several people who reported that a local man was trapped under some wreckage in a salvage yard. Apparently he'd been searching through a pile of scrap metal when the pile gave way. He fell from the heap and became pinned down, face down, under a car chassis, a steel I-beam, a boiler casing, and various other metal objects. It was a major rescue operation to free the man, who easily had a ton of wreckage on top of him. The rescue involved a heavy rescue company, a specialized structure collapse unit, and many additional engines and ladders.

The firefighters were using a brand of flashlight geared toward the emergency response community, but these lights were like dim candles. So, out popped my L4. It was the smallest light on scene, but also the brightest, so the vast portion of the rescue operation was performed while illuminated by my flashlight. Numerous police officers and firefighters commented of the brightness of the light during the rescue. In fact, the only brighter lights on the scene was the one connected directly to a portable generator and the 5,000,000 candlepower search light on the helicopter above us--but neither of these units were available until near the end of the operation. My L4 remained at near full intensity for the entire 90 minute operation without any noticeable reduction in output.

Keep up the good work, SureFire. I can't see myself ever buying another brand of flashlight again.

Eric R.
Pennsylvania

In central Iraq, at a check point surrounded by razor wire, a semi with a "lowboy" trailer and a bulldozer drove through the check after being waved through. But the driver failed to compensate for the width of the blade on his 10-ton rig, snagging the razor wire and dragging it with him as he rolled through. The soldier assigned to my security detail was manning a fighting position opposite me. Over the roar of turbo diesels and exhaust, I heard a muffled shout and saw a green chem-light fly high into the night.

I rushed in, my newly acquired 6P® in hand, trying to get the driver's attention before he gets back on the gas and drags my soldier to his death. When he looked into his mirror and I hit him with the 65 lumens firing out of that awesome little light, he locked the brakes up then and there. I ran to the other side, praying for the best but fearing the worst. To my relief, as well as that of my soldier and the driver, the truck had stopped with about three feet left before my guy would have been dragged to his death under those giant tires.

I know this isn't the first SureFire to save a life, but I know that I will always have one or two on me—just in case I need to do it again.

John B.
Iraq

I work at a local hospital as a respiratory therapist in a cardio-vascular intensive care area. During a very intense thunderstorm one night, we lost power temporarily. Most of our ventilators have a battery backup, but some don't, so I had 10 patients who were unable to breathe when the hospital went dark.

We needed to ambu-bag all of these patients, but in the dark we couldn't see to grab oxygen tanks from the supply area. I had my A2 Aviator® on a lanyard around my neck, so I grabbed it and immediately lit up the unit. I was able to get the tanks to all the bedsides in time to start bagging while we waited for the backup generator to kick in.

That night could have been disastrous had it not been for my sweet A2!

Mike S.
Macon, GA

As a firefighter and EMT, I know the value of having quality, dependable tools to help do the job. I never venture very far from home without my SureFire L2 LumaMax®, and the night I was summoned to a bad motor-vehicle accident on a back country road was no exception.

Arriving on scene, we couldn't position our rescue unit close enough to the scene to use our lighting, and we could hear moans of pain from the severely injured, semi-responsive passenger in the car. Using my L2, we were able to see the scene well enough to start IVs, place cervical collars, and (unfortunately) locate the man's severed arm. My L2 was banged, bumped, and thrown, and without it, it would've taken much longer on the scene, and we may not have seen many of the hazards we were facing.

The patient unfortunately lost his arm, but due to swift and decisive action, and being able to see with the aid of my L2, he's alive and well today. Boy, am I glad that I had my SureFire that night.

Jerome D.
Barton, VT

I often go walking late at night; I enjoy the cool, calm air and the peace and quiet. One night, I was out for a stroll, my SureFire E2D LED Defender® and my laser pointer in my pocket, when I came upon a group of four males, all 18-20 years old, harassing and annoying a young lady. I shouted at them and told them to leave the woman alone. Two of them stopped the woman from leaving, and the other two approached me.

As the two males approached me, it was clear they were looking for confrontation. So I immediately drew my E2D LED with my right hand, held it like a pistol, and blasted out its max output. This really made them stop in their tracks. Then I pulled out my laser pointer and pointed that at them. The two males were dazzled, shocked, and had to sit down to absorb what had just happened. I then approached the two males who were continuing to harass and annoy the young women. I was concerned this was a potential rape in the making. After seeing what had happened to their chums, they said, "We're not looking for any trouble," and became very passive. I said, "That's funny, because before I pulled out my torch and laser pointer, you were itching for a fight, and were hassling this lady."

The males ran off, and I helped the lady back to her house. She said to me, "That was incredible, like something out of a movie." I replied, "These things don't always have such a good ending. I will be reporting this to the police; they just walked right under a CCTV camera at the library."

Before waving goodbye, the lady asked what make of torch I had. I said, "SureFire." She didn't even mention the laser pointer.

Peter G.
Longniddry, UK

I am not a rescue professional, but I do carry my new SureFire E1e Executive Elite® with me everywhere. Last month, while watching a movie at the theater, there was a cry for help from behind us. An elderly lady was having a heart attack. Fortunately, there were two paramedics in the theater and they jumped up to help. Unfortunately, the house lights did not come up and the paramedics had no flashlights. It was SureFire to the rescue!

I may not know CPR, but I can hold a light for those who do. Between my SureFire E1e and the two paramedics, the victim was resuscitated and survived. The house lights never did come on.

Craig B.
Toledo, OH

Being the best man in my best friend's wedding introduced me to the amazing SureFire lineup. He bought all of us who stood with him the G2 Nitrolon® flashlight. After getting it home, checking out the web site, and reading some of the crazy situations people with SureFire lights have had I was almost wondering if I'd ever have a crazy story of my own to share involving this flashlight. Interestingly enough, I did.

Not six months after his wedding, I was asleep in the 100 year-old residence hall that I oversee at Taylor University Fort Wayne. I was awakened just after 5am by the sound of the fire alarm, quickly got up, grabbed my sweatshirt and my G2, and ran out of my room. Once I got in the hallway, I realized that it was beginning to fill with smoke. I turned on the G2 and it cut through the smoke with ease.

Next I started banging on doors and going in to see if everyone was out. A couple of the doors that I opened I went in to find the guys still asleep in their beds. I shined the light on them and yelled at them to wake up and get out of the building. On my way up the stairs, I began to pass the guys coming down from the third floor. They later recounted that they remember me going around with a 'really bright' flashlight, and that it helped them see where they were going to get out.

After checking the doors on the third floor I went back down to the second floor where the smoke was getting very thick and black. Thankfully, I went down the stairway where there was a fire exit and was able to get out safely. When everything was said and done everyone got out of the building without any injuries, which the firemen would later call 'a miracle.' I know that God was watching out for us that morning, but I also know that having my SureFire right next to my bed for me to grab was no accident either!

Thanks for such a great product.

Adam H.
Fort Wayne, IN

I am an anesthesiologist, and the one instrument that's always by my side, besides my laryngoscope, is a Surefire 6P™ Original.

Midway during a recent brain surgery, a major fire at the hospital's powerhouse shut down-both main and backup power. The operating room was plunged into total darkness. But thanks to my trusty 6P, the neurosurgeon was able to complete the rest of the aneurysm surgery in about a half hour, using just my 6P for illumination in the totally dark operating room. We were then able to negotiate the dark corridors to the recovery room with the help of my dependable 6P. My flashlight was definitely instrumental in saving that patient's life.

Dr. Joseph A.
Quezon City, Philippines

I am a truck driver, and I was the first responder to an accident that happened in Kansas on Interstate 70. About 4:00 a.m. I saw a faint red light down the ravine about 200 ft., so I pulled over to inspect. Using my "three-million-candlepower" flashlight in the truck, I saw that it was a jeep in the ravine, so I called 911, and after I talked to them I went down the ravine to determine if there were any casualties.

When I got to the bottom of the ravine my big flashlight died, and I had to use my E2D LED Defender®, which I always carry in my pocket for emergencies. I used this flashlight to check on the lone injured driver and then to get back to the top of the ravine to bring him some blankets because it was freezing out. I got back to the ravine using the Defender to light my path, and I waited for the emergency crew to arrive. I also used it to signal the rescuers to the accident location when they arrived.

Without my Defender, I could have failed to save that driver's life.

Roger L.
Chubbuck, ID

I was a volunteer EMT/Extrication technician for a rescue squad in Virginia. One night, I was called out to a major car accident on a back road in the mountains. We arrived on scene to find a car over an embankment, wrapped around a tree. It was dark and raining very hard, and our scene lights couldn't reach down the steep hill. So I un-holstered my E2D Executive Defender® and went to work.

I quickly made my way down the slick slope using my Defender as a guide, holding it in my mouth as I grasped for sticks and trees to keep myself from falling. When I reached the car, I discovered one occupant in the front seat, totally unconscious. In the pitch- black, soaking-wet, muddy conditions, I stripped off my coat and made my way into the car through the back window, only to find my patient was not only unconscious, but also not breathing.

Long story short, I managed to intubate the victim inside the wrecked car with only the light from my SureFire E2D Defender, which I held in my mouth the whole time. All my buddies on the fire department always rag me about carrying a $100 flashlight, but it certainly was worth its weight in gold on that night.

Jason D
Chapel Hill, NC

I've had a SureFire L7 LumaMax® for over a year now, and it’s the best investment I've made.

I was recently on a boat crossing the Bering Sea. We ran into heavy seas throughout the entire trip, but on day four we hit some truly horrific waves. Our hull warped and cracked, and we were taking on water — a lot of it. I shoved shirts and anything else I could grab at the time into the crack in the hull. I started placing pieces of wood over the crack, but I ran out of wood and needed one more piece about six and a half inches long to go across from the hull to the bulkhead...a piece of wood about the same length as my L7.

I shoved the L7 between the hull and bulkhead, and it stayed put the entire way back. After we pulled into port, I removed my L7, hit the switch, and, amazingly, it fired right up! We fixed the crack and bought ten more L7s after that.

Just thought you'd want to know what a great product you've got!

Sean S.
Seattle, WA

I got a SureFire 6P® as a Christmas gift and was amazed at how bright it was, but I couldn't think of any reason I needed such a powerful light. One night I was walking my dog, and a couple of skaters came up behind me and told me to give them my money. I was so scared that I just froze, but then I realized I had a bright flashlight in my pocket. So I pulled out my 6P and fired it in their eyes. They froze for a moment and then skated off in the opposite direction.

Thanks, Surefire, for saving my life.

Ian L.
Arcadia, CA

It started out as an innocent hiking trip with two of my friends in the mountains of Hawaii. We thought we could make one of the summits by dark. Ten miles later, well after dark, we were out of water and severely dehydrated. We were not even close to the summit. As a last resort, I had to call in the helicopter to fly my two friends out. They were in bad shape physically. We could hear the chopper coming up the mountain, and they could not obtain a fix on us. The dispatch operator asked me to turn on my flashlight and shine it into the sky. I proceeded to turn on my L5 LumaMax® and lit up the sky. The helicopter immediately noticed my flashlight and located our position. Both my friends were evacuated and obtained the assistance necessary.

If it was not for my L5 LumaMax flashlight, they would have never found us. The firefighters gave me water, and I walked down the next morning.

Paul W.
Ewa Beach, HI

The E2D Defender® is by far the best SureFire flashlight I've ever owned. It has been on my person every since the day I purchased it, and even when I sleep it is on my nightstand. Naturally, when the E2DL came out I had to get my hands on one. The 120 lumens its LED produces on high is great for doing all sorts of activities where more light is required. And the five lumens of output it generates on low is great for reading maps and general use around the home.

I like to jog at night, and I've always carried my E2D with me when I jog, but now I carry my E2DL. While jogging one night, I was attacked by a homeless person who seemed like he was on some sort of narcotic. He grabbed on to my reflective arm band as I ran past him and held on tightly. With my other hand, I reached into my shorts' pocket and pulled out my E2DL. I hit his hand with the E2DL's crenellated Strike Bezel®, and he released my arm band. Then I quickly shined the light in his eyes, disorienting him, and when he raised his hands to cover his eyes, I hit him in his forehead with the bezel, knocking him to the ground. A Good Samaritan spotted me in distress and helped me hold down the suspect until the police arrived. When the police arrived, they were curious about the odd shape on the suspect's forehead. I showed them the E2DL, and they instantly knew it was a SureFire—they even asked me when the LED E2D model came out.

Thank you, SureFire, for making quality products that I can depend on when my life is on the line.

Eric M.
Bronx, NY

I was driving through Washington DC on I-95 at about 8 p.m. Traffic was moving well, and I was making great time, until I came across a wreck on the highway. I scooted past it and saw two cars that had just been in an accident. Being an ever-prepared Good Samaritan, I pulled over, grabbed my roadside emergency bag from the back of the car (containing some screwdrivers, a first-aid kit, and, of course, my SureFire E2L Outdoorsman), and headed toward the accident.

I made my way to the second car, an SUV that had been flipped onto its side, trapping the older woman driver inside. I could see through the windshield that she had a head wound that was bleeding pretty badly, and she was starting to panic, so I grabbed the hardest object I could find—my SureFire Outdoorsman—and started trying to bash in the back windshield. After a few good blows, the windshield shattered. I coaxed the woman out, put on a pair of rubber gloves, and examined her head. The wound wasn't as bad as it looked, but I was concerned about the possibility of brain damage, so I did a quick pupil-dilation test, which requires a flashlight. I had my doubts that my SureFire would still work after using it as a smashing tool, but, much to my surprise, it lit right up and worked as if nothing had ever happened. The woman turned out to be okay and was rushed off in an ambulance. In the meantime, my SureFire continued to work at the scene, directing traffic until the local police arrived. I'm certain that woman would've remained trapped in that car until the cops arrived if it weren't for me and my SureFire.

Nicholas L.
New Rochelle, NY

I was a nurse in a cardiac surgery intensive care unit, and a patient who'd just come out of surgery was going downhill fast. The surgeon had to crack the chest at the bedside and needed more light to be able to see. I'd just been camping with my 9AN Commander, and I still had it in my backpack at work. So I grabbed my flashlight and illuminated the patient's chest bright enough to find the problem. The doctors were then able to take the patient back to the OR to fix the problem.

Thanks to SureFire, the patient was given another chance at life.

Jason S.
Richmond, VA

While working the night shift on my local volunteer ambulance squad, a call came in for a multi-vehicle accident on a major highway. Our first-line ambulance was already out on a run, and when we arrived on scene, we saw what appeared to be a four-car crash. Unfortunately the generator was acting quirky on the rig, and we couldn't use our powerful flood lights to survey the scene.

While extricating a patient trapped in the vehicle assigned to me by my incident commander, I turned around while the fire department cut through the windshield. Out of the corner of my eye, the E2D Defender clipped to my helmet illuminated the roadside, revealing another two cars we hadn't seen. Thanks to the brightness of the E2D, three passengers received lifesaving emergency medical treatment.

Marc G.
Teaneck, NJ

My brother Kevin and I are both part of our local volunteer river-rescue team. For his birthday last year, I bought him a SureFire L1 LumaMax®—it was the perfect gift for an active man like him.

While on patrol one dark, cold evening, we received a call that a local fisherman was in trouble on the water. Within a matter of minutes, Kevin, me, and another volunteer reached the fisherman's small boat, which had beached itself on one of the notorious sand banks dotted around our stretch of river. The fisherman was in obvious distress and informed us that his daughter had fallen overboard prior to beaching the boat. She was wearing her lifejacket, but we knew that, apart from drowning, hypothermia was a real risk. We had to get her out of the water fast.

As we are a volunteer force, our equipment isn't always state of the art, and the spotlight we had on the boat perfectly illustrated this fact. We knew roughly where the girl had hit the water and where the tide would likely have carried her. After 10 minutes of searching, we could hear her calling for help. It was then that the batteries died on the boat's spotlight. To be honest, it was almost comical, except a little girl's life was at stake. Luckily, Kevin had his L1 at hand. That little torch lit up the water for a good distance in front of the boat and straight away illuminated the girl's position. Kevin pulled her from the water, and we took the girl and her father back to the boathouse to get warm.

A few days later, the other volunteer and I both received SureFires from the fisherman as a way to say thanks.

Eoin, M.
Dublin, Ireland

I am a wild-land firefighter, and me and my crew were in Idaho for the Saddleback Ridge fire. It was about noon when, out of nowhere, a tree lit up, throwing hot embers all over and causing multiple spot fires to ignite. We were in pairs, and my partner was a good ways off when things began to get real dark from all of the smoke. You couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of you; smoke and hot embers were being thrown by the trees that were now up in flames. It began getting harder to breathe every passing minute, and trees began to fall from having their roots burned out at the base.

I kept yelling my partner's name, but we could barely hear each other because of the roar of the fire. So I pulled out my SureFire and began flashing it on and off trying to give my partner a light to come toward. I began to wonder if he was still alive when out of the smoke he came, staggering and coughing. We were able to help each other out to the safe zone, where he was treated for some minor burns and smoke inhalation.

If it wasn't for that SureFire, we both could've been torched alive. Thank you so much, SureFire.

Nicholas S.
Anchorage, AK

It was 5:00 a.m., and I'd just gotten off work, after an exhausting 14-hour shift. I was on the freeway, heading north, when the next thing I knew, I'd drifted off the pavement. As I frantically tried to steer myself back onto the pavement, I overcorrected, causing my Honda to flip twice and land upside down.

Pinned and unable to move, I'd lost all feeling in my legs. To make matters worse, my car was obstructed from view by high brush and its headlights no longer worked, so I was invisible from the freeway. I was able to reach the horn, but this proved unsuccessful—the battery had evidently come disconnected.

I screamed and yelling at passing cars for about 15 minutes before realizing that my U2 Ultra™ was in my pocket. So I managed to pull it from my pocket and began flashing an S.O.S. to a passing car. The car pulled over, and the driver called for an ambulance.

I suffered a broken hip, a dislodged femur, a fractured fibula and tibia, some broken ribs, and a few cuts and bruises. There's no doubt in my mind that my SureFire saved my life that dark morning—the driver who saved me told me he was blinded by the light and had to pull over to see what it was. Boy, am I glad he did.

Thank you, Surefire, for making such a great product!

Xuan N.
Garden Grove, CA

I volunteered for a deployment to Iraq in December. We were conducting pre-deployment training in Camp Pendleton, California, when I arrived in January. During convoy training, I was the turret gunner in a HMMWV. We drove up a hill, and the driver didn't see the turn at the top. We drove over the hill, and I got ejected from the turret. I landed on my neck, and the upside-down HMMWV landed right on top of me, knocking me unconscious.

I woke up inside the turret of the overturned HMMWV to find that I was partially buried by the dirt that got pushed inside the turret. I reached for my SureFire in my vest pocket and lit up the inside of the turret. I still had my sunglasses on but could see like it was broad daylight. It was a huge relief to know that something was working right when everything else had gone wrong. Realizing that the left side of my body was paralyzed, I held my SureFire in my teeth while I tried to cut my gear off with my knife. Eventually my fellow Marines were able to dig a hole underneath the turret and pull me out. When I was on the backboard, I told them to grab my SureFire and my knife.

I'm currently still in the rehabbing process, but I've recovered almost 100% and am ready to join my team in Iraq and go do what I joined up to do.

LCPL Robert K. – USMC
Orlando, FL

Last winter, I was out on the lake, testing for a good place to drill a hole through the ice for ice-fishing. The ice suddenly cracked and gave way, completely submerging me in the freezing-cold water. When I reemerged, I gasped for air, ripped open the front pocket of my jacket, and pulled out my E2D Defender®. I used its crenellated bezel to get a good grip in the surface ice and pull myself out.

I would've been fish food had it not been for that little gem of a flashlight.

Tyler M.
East Petersburg, PA

Less than a week after receiving an L4 LumaMax® and a Kroma® in the mail, they both proved invaluable in assisting an injured motorist in the dead of night. I was driving on a major highway, coming home late one night, when a car in front of me lost control, rolled multiple times, and collided head-on with a disabled flatbed on the side of the road. I pulled over immediately. When I ran to the scene of the crash, others were trying desperately to peer into the upturned car, looking for survivors, but without any light they could not see anything. My L4 changed that immediately.

With its wide, bright beam, I was able to quickly locate a passenger in the back seat and see he was still conscious, albeit with a badly broken leg. He told us there were two more people in the front of the car, and I was able to locate both of them with the L4. With horror, I realized they were hopelessly pinned inside the car, and neither was breathing or had a pulse. With gasoline and oil spilling from the car's mangled engine, we decided to extricate the lone survivor before the situation worsened. Holding back the passenger's wrecked door, I held my L4 on the scene as others pulled him from the smoking wreckage.

In the meantime I'd given my Kroma, set with its red surrounding LEDs and its main beam on, to another good Samaritan to wave off traffic coming around the bend. When firefighters arrived on the scene, a number were without lights, so I lent them my flashlights

Thanks for designing flashlights that perform so well — even under such terrible circumstances. Every motorist should have at least one SureFire in his or her glove box at all times.

Evan C.
McLean, VA

As an industrial paramedic, I encounter my fair share of unusual calls, especially ones in confined spaces or places where it's difficult to actually locate the patient. One late night, we received a 911 cell-phone call from a patient saying he was in and out of consciousness, throwing up, weak, and that he had a horrible headache. These symptoms usually point to carbon monoxide poisoning, a condition that's extremely serious because a patient only has a limited amount of time before serious, irreparable brain damage can occur.

The patient was somewhere in the plant's basement and could only give us a vague description of his location. My cohorts all had their company-issued "off"-brand lights, which put out about 30 lumens of weak light in a junky beam pattern. But I had my SureFire M6® Guardian®, which pumped out a near-flawless, 500-lumen beam. Needless to say, they all passed over his limp body because his dusty clothing blended in with the equipment around him. But my Guardian's 500 lumens of light don't allow a whole lot to remain hidden, so I soon discovered him—in an area with 800 ppm of carbon monoxide. At this concentration of CO, a person has well under an hour before brain damage occurs due to lack of oxygenation. Not only did my SureFire help us find the patient quickly enough to save his life, but it allowed our EMS crew and firefighters to get out of the area before we suffered any injuries from the poisonous gas.

Ryan M.
Michigan City, IN