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An afternoon workout almost turned into a tragedy. Now a lifeguard is credited with saving a stranger's life.
Twenty-five-year-old Corey Fischer was at the pool two weeks ago when a call came over the radio that a man in his 50s had collapsed after working out. The man had no pulse. "He was black and blue in the face," Fischer said.
Fischer didn't hesitate. His training kicked in. "I yelled for the AED (automated external defibrillator) and ripped his shirt off," he said.
Fischer says he didn't panic or hesitate. He grabbed an AED and followed his CPR training.
"For the first six or seven compressions I could feel his ribs break under my hands. The only thing going through my head was this is what needs to happen in order to get blood to circulate," Fischer said. He added, "It's a sight I will never forget, seeing a body just like you would imagine it, convulse. He did spit up some blood and serum, making the situation even more real."
Fischer ended up shocking the man five times, with CPR between each round, then paramedics took over. The man survived and is now awaiting bypass surgery.
Incidentally a bill is now on the way to the governor's desk that protects anyone from being sued after trying to save someone's life in a similar way.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
