Emergency responders in the Ithaca, NY area have had a busy holiday season! In the past 6 days, 3 lives have been saved – and it’s all thanks to the courageous teamwork between firefighters, EMTs, and trained bystanders.
On December 17th, a 25-year old woman’s heart had stopped. Emergency responders were immediately dispatched and arrived just 2 minutes after the call. Using CPR and defibrillators, they were able to get her breathing again. She was taken to the local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Just 4 days later, the second CPR-save came at 11am. A 66-year old man with a history of medical issues went into full cardiac arrest. Firefighters made it there very quickly, and were again able to use CPR and defibrillators to get the man breathing again.
And finally, the third save of the week! It happened a few days later at around 2pm in the afternoon near the entrance of a grocery store. A woman went into cardiac arrest and luckily, the store manager and a customer were there to witness it as well as even give CPR until responders arrived.
Ithaca Fire Lt. Tommy Basher praised everyone’s efforts and noted, “If bystanders begin CPR immediately it gives the victims a better chance for a positive outcome.”
