Three Chico State Students are being hailed as heros after they came to the rescue of a fellow student who collapsed while working out at the Wildcat Recreation Center.
It started out as a normal Monday evening shift for three student-employees at the "WREC" center... But suddenly turned into a life or death situation.
Employee Josh Faylor said, "When I saw him he was flat back and at that point he had like a really weird breathing pattern."
A student ... lifting weights ... collapsed to the floor,losing consciousness. His work-out partners had no idea why.
"I automatically said our codeword "wildcat" which is just to get anybody in the building down to where it was on the platform," said employee Katie Nicca.
The three employees and an off-duty EMT who happened to be at the gym sprung into action. "I checked for a pulse on his wrist", said Faylor. "It was not really strong to begin with."
And then ... there was no pulse.
Fortunately for the unconscious student, whose name has not been released, the state-of-the-art facility comes equipped with an automatic defibrillator for just such an emergency.
Using step-by-step instructions ... The students attached the device to his chest ... And it did the rest.
After one shock the young man was breathing again.
Laya said, "Afterwards I basically just monitored his breathing with the other employees and the off duty EMT so that paramedics arrived and he was fine."
Student-employees are trained in first-aid and the use of the defibrillator but until now, had never encountered a situation so extreme. "Of course I was a little panicked" said Laya, but I think at that time the need to use your information and your knowledge takes over and adrenaline-filled state."
Faylor adds, It was really cool to know that our whole team like worked together everyone got it done and we helped save a kids life."
The student's grandmother contacted action news seeking the names of the students who helped, to thank them. She says her grandson is 18 and experienced a cardiac arrest. As of wednesday he was listed in critical but stable condition at Enloe Medical Center. ###
