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SAN LUIS OBISPO
Community members save triathlete when heart stopped
Posted: Jul 22, 2012 6:31 PM by Hope Hanselman, KSBY News
Updated: Jul 23, 2012 11:30 AM
It was a scary scene at the San Luis Obispo Triathlon today when lifeguards pulled an unconscious man from the pool during the first leg of the race.
Paramedics say the man is now in stable condition at French Hospital. They say it was the lifeguards and community members who saved his life after he had a heart attack just after 8 am.
Lifeguards at Sinsheimer pool were joined by two off-duty medical workers who happened to be standing by. The man's son was also performing CPR when the fire department arrived.
"He was unconscious, kind of pale and clammy," Ryley Washbish, lifeguard, said.
Lifeguards acted quickly using an Automatic External Defibrillator, or an AED. It's a simple device that administers electric shocks based on the victim's heart-rate.
"Anyone who removes it from the wall can operate it," Dave Parker, paramedic, said. "You just open the lid and that's going to turn it on. It's going to give you directions on how to place the pads."
Lifeguards shocked the man twice with the machine. Within minutes, it revived the rhythm of his heartbeat, and the man was breathing once again.
Paramedics took him to the hospital, where they say he'll recover.
But they're not taking credit for this rescue.
"In that type of situation, time is really of the essence," Jody Larson, fire captain, said. "So, having that there greatly improved his chances."
It didn't take a medical background to save the man's life- just a little courage to jump in.
The John W Callahan Heart Safe Project is working to put AEDs in buildings around the city.
They're simple to use, but taking a CPR class from the American Red Cross will teach you how to operate it.
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