Nurse, fellow hikers help save man's life after cardiac arrest on Big Cottonwood Canyon trail

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — A routine fall hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon turned into a lifesaving mission when a University of Utah nurse and two other hikers performed CPR for up to 30 minutes on a man who suffered cardiac arrest along a mountain trail.

Miley Feltman and her partner were hiking in the canyon when they stopped to observe a moose and her calf near the trail. As hikers gave the animals space, an emergency unfolded.

"We were about to turn around to go back down the trail because we didn't want to disturb the moose when this gentleman in front of me collapsed," Feltman said.

Feltman immediately responded and began CPR. Two other bystanders stepped in to help, allowing the group to rotate chest compressions and maintain lifesaving efforts while awaiting emergency responders.

"The three of us set up a really good rotation to continue providing those high-quality compressions," Feltman said.

Responders from Unified Fire Authority, Salt Lake County Search and Rescue and other agencies were dispatched to the remote trail. Because of the challenging location, Feltman and the other hikers continued CPR for approximately 20 to 30 minutes before crews arrived.

"I think in the moment I had a lot of adrenaline going, so I didn't feel as tired," Feltman said. "But after, and the days after, I was very, very tired, both physically and mentally."

The patient, identified as 67-year-old Ricardo, who was visiting from Argentina, initially had no pulse. By the time he was transported out of the canyon, responders had regained a pulse.

Feltman said the incident is a reminder that cardiac arrest can happen anywhere.

"Cardiac arrest events happen all the time, and it can happen to anybody, anywhere, anytime," Nate Cochran, a spokesperson for Unified Fire, said.

Unified Fire officials said emergencies in backcountry areas can present unique challenges because medical resources are farther away and help may not be immediately available.

"Not only are you in an area where it's rural, there's not a lot of resources," Cochran said. "There's also not a lot of people. So chances are you coming across other people can be pretty rare, but the chances of those events happening are still very real."

First responders are encouraging the public to learn CPR, noting that immediate action by bystanders can significantly improve a person's chances of survival before professional medical help arrives.

In this case, Ricardo was fortunate a trained nurse was nearby. But Feltman said anyone can make a difference during a cardiac emergency.

"I think it's just so important for anybody, not a nurse, not a doctor, anybody, to be able to jump in and perform chest compressions," Feltman said.

Officials said even basic hands-only CPR can help sustain a person until emergency crews arrive.

"The biggest thing is just getting people to understand that it's not hard and to be willing to actually do it," Cochran said.

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