Marine Veteran Uses Own Fingers To Plug Bullet Holes

A U.S. Marine vet is recovering in a Florida hospital after he was shot during a Craigslist transaction. According to witnesses the Marine plugged his bullet holes with his own fingers, borrowing from his Marine training which likely saved his life.

Lt. Col. Karl Trenker, 48, met with a Craigslist buyer in Miramar, the buyer who went by the name “Galven” told Trenker he was interested in buying the men’s chain necklace his fiance had posted on the free marketplace.

While Trenker was made to believe they would be meeting in a well-populated area it turned out to be an apartment complex.

Trenker told ABC News’ Miami affiliate WPLG-TV:

“He just picked it up, looked at it and then just started running. I said, ‘Listen, we can just drop this now. You set that thing on the ground, walk away, we’re done. Police are going to be on their way in a minute.””

The Marine then ran after two men for several blocks before they turned and fired several shots in his direction.

According to a police report he said of the incident:

“I got shot. I didn’t know I was shot as many times as I was shot,” Trenker said. “I felt the one go into my chest and then one through my abdomen.”

After putting his fingers in the bullet holes he then ran back to his car, made sure his four kids were okay and told them:

‘Listen, Dad’s been shot. There’s an ambulance already on the way.”

Speaking to WPLG his fiance Tanya Saiz noted:

“He called me and said, ‘Honey, I’ve been shot,'” and “I nearly fainted. He saved my life. That would have been me.”

It was Tanya who was originally slated to meet with the potential buyer.

While Treker is obviously happen to be recovering he never thought injuries from gunshots would be sustained in his own hometown and not war time where he served for many years.