A Fresno man lost his foot in a motorcycle accident Saturday in the Point Reyes National Seashore and may have been saved from bleeding to death by a park visitor trained in lifesaving.

Jason Romano, a Davis contractor, was driving Sunday on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard behind two westbound bikers when both bikers suddenly lost control of their motorcycles at a sharp curve in the road just west of A ranch.

Both bikers flew off the road, Romano said, crashing through a barbed wire fence and hurtling 50 feet into a pasture. One of the Honda motorcycles smashed against a fence post. "Pieces of bike were everywhere," Romano said.

One passenger in Romano's car rushed to nearby A Ranch to call paramedics while Romano and another passenger checked the accident scene. Although one biker, John Read, was relatively unharmed, his brother Henry Read had his right foot severed just above the ankle.

"I've never seen anything as crazy as that," said Romano, 28, a trained lifeguard and former Boy Scout. "I was kind of in shock."

With a cellular phone found in a motorcycle bag, Romano called paramedics, who said they would dispatch an ambulance immediately. In the meantime, John Read had staggered over to his brother, collapsed beside him, and held his brother's hand.

Romano applied a tourniquet to Henry Read's leg, using a belt and a stick found in the field.

Though he was in shock, Henry Read, a registered nurse, started asking about his condition.

"It was amazing because he was talking to me in terminology that was knowledgeable," Romano said. "I asked him if I was doing everything all right."

Between cellular phone calls to the bikers' wives, Romano called the 911 operator again, this time to demand a helicopter evacuation for Read. "I was so afraid he was going to bleed to death," Romano said. "I told her he had a traumatic amputation of the lower extremity. I started talking all kinds of crazy terminology."

Romano said he and his roommate did their best to comfort the men by cushioning their heads, elevating their legs, and covering them to keep them warm.

When rangers and county firefighters arrived minutes later, they provided oxygen, stabilized the men, and began searching for the missing foot.

Foot found in pasture

"Henry was doing pretty well, considering the situation," said ranger Augusto Conde, who responded to the emergency from Chimney Rock.

Read's foot was eventually discovered in the pasture and loaded with him onto the helicopter to be reattached at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. However, on Wednesday Romano reported that Henry Read's foot could not be reattached, but he is recovering well from surgery.

John Read was treated at Marin General Hospital.

Romano said he visited Henry Read before and after his operation and has been treated to dinner by the bikers' families.

"John was actually there, drinking beer with me," Romano said. "Those guys are so cool."