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SOUTH JORDAN — A Draper man doesn't remember the day when his whole life changed. Tuesday evening, though, he had the opportunity to thank the men who saved it.
In all began in the exercise room at Life Time Fitness in South Jordan. Jaba Kumar Daniel, a healthy 56-year-old man, was working out again — running, training, working the elliptical — when all of a sudden his heart stopped beating.
Jaba says there was no warning sign, no pain, no gut feeling. "I did not know how it came or anything," he said. "I never thought I was going to get a heart attack or something."
Fortunately for him, four men who work at the gym were ready. Russ Sherman, a physical trainer at the gym, saw Jaba fall and yelled for help.
"My adrenaline was going pretty hard," Sherman recalled.
Andy Voris, also a trainer, started CPR. "There was nothing," he said. "No response from him, really. We checked for a pulse and breathing."
Trainer Carter Monty grabbed the AED — the automated external defibrillator — to shock Jaba's heart.
"It does its own magic. You hook it up and it tells you exactly what's going on, pulse or no pulse," Carter explained.
At Lifetime Fitness, manager Steven Cutler, who also helped Jaba, says all his workers are CPR- and AED- trained. In this case, they saved Jaba's life.
Tuesday night, during a South Jordan City Council meeting, the four were honored and given awards for what they did.
Jaba, his wife, and his daughter were there too.
It was an awful experience; and at the same time it was uplifting. Jaba will always be part of my family and part of my heart, definitely.
–Carter Montey, physical trainer
"They are everything to me because they helped me," Jaba said.
Sure, the awards and the recognition were nice, but the guys say seeing Jaba and his family smiling together, and knowing they had a small part in them still being together, is the best reward.
"It was an awful experience; and at the same time it was uplifting," Monty said. "Jaba will always be part of my family and part of my heart, definitely."
Jaba says he still has to do physical therapy for his heart, but he's just fine with that. He's alive and well, and now has four new best friends.
Email: acabrero@ksl.com
