- A Utah County crossing guard survived a cardiac arrest last October thanks to the quick actions of others.
- Kirk Nixon collapsed near Mount Mahogany Elementary School when bystanders and a nurse intervened.
- The nurse, Jill Anderson, used a defibrillator to revive Nixon, who now calls those who saved him "angels."
PLEASANT GROVE — A Pleasant Grove school crossing guard is alive today thanks to the fast actions of a school nurse and a few bystanders.
Kirk Nixon, 71, collapsed in cardiac arrest right in the middle of a crosswalk at Mount Mahogany Elementary School.
Nixon's heart had stopped, and he wasn't breathing. He now calls the people who rushed to help him "angels" who were in the right place at exactly the right time.
The life-altering situation happened last October as students were heading home for the day. Nixon, a beloved crossing guard known for greeting children with hugs and smiles, had just placed his cone in the street when he suddenly collapsed.
"The second I set my cone, I stood up, and that's the last thing I remember," he said.
Kim Crapo, who is a preschool teacher and was driving by, was among the first to see him fall.
"I saw him fall, and I immediately pulled over," she recalled. "He wasn't breathing. There was no pulse. Nothing. So me and another bystander just started compressions, and then the nurse came out with a defibrillator."
That school nurse was Jill Anderson, who rushed to the scene with an AED device.
"It was an emergency situation. I definitely felt that adrenaline spike immediately. I have a lot of training as a nurse, so I knew exactly what I needed to do," she said.
Anderson could see how dire things were.
"I showed up, and he was purple and blue, which told me things were not going well. I took the AED and put the pads immediately onto his chest," she said.
Within moments, there were signs of life.
"To go from not breathing to at least attempting to breathe was a great sign," Anderson added.
Their quick response gave Nixon a second chance at life.
"It's not circumstance. There were angels placed — and you were that," Nixon told the women who helped save him. "I'm still here. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Anderson said she's simply overwhelmed with joy that he recovered.
"I'm just so happy he's alive. That is just so amazing," she said.
Nixon's wife, who also works as a crossing guard, happened to be stationed at another intersection up the street. She ran toward the scene and feared the worst when she saw her husband on the ground.
Today, Nixon is focused on regaining his health and hopes to someday put the vest back on and return to the corner where he watched over students for years.
"This gal right here saved my life," Nixon said, adding that he's grateful to still be here to enjoy "lots of great things."
