San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Brad Powers is back on the job after five months recovering from wounds he suffered in the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas.
Powers was shot in the pelvis Oct. 1 when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd, killing 58 and wounding hundreds, before Paddock took his own life.
A bullet cut Powers' femoral artery and veins and ripped through muscle. He says his academy training kicked in the moment he heard shots fly.
"I never lost consciousness," he said. "I never closed my eyes for more than 10 seconds."
He credits a stranger with saving his life by whisking him away to a hospital.
"She drove amazingly," he said. "We had to stop at one point to figure out which hospital to go to."
Powers said the sheriff's department has helped with the physical and emotional toll the shooting has taken. And he thanks the San Bernardino County community for pitching in to help cover the bills.
He also thanked his bride who was at his side in the hospital every day and night.
"I call her Wonder Woman now," he said. "She's amazing."
