FORT MONROE, Va. -- The actions of three Fort Monroe lifeguards saved the life of an octogenarian who collapsed outside the Community Activities Center July 25.
Lifeguard Maria Flores said she went to the lobby of the CAC to ensure tables and chairs were put away and the area was clean after a birthday pool party celebration ended. From the lobby, she could hear someone screaming, "Call 911."
Nineteen-year-old Flores ran toward the voice and saw an 81-year-old man bleeding from a head wound apparently sustained from a fall onto the parking lot pavement.
Someone was holding his head and Flores used a towel to control the bleeding. She also ensured emergency services had been called. After which, Flores assessed his condition and found he was not breathing. She administered rescue breaths and checked for a pulse. There was none; so she started chest compressions.
One of the patrons phoned Sports and Aquatics Director Rob Kemble who was not on Monroe at the time. She described the incident and Kemble directed her to take the automated external defibrillator to the scene as he raced to the installation.
In the meantime, 17-year-old Ashley Spivey - who became a certified lifeguard in May - joined Flores and attached an AED to the unresponsive man. It indicated no shock was needed. That is not a good sign because the AED picks up electrical impulses from a heart that is trying to beat. If there is no signal, the person is probably dead.
They continued through a fifth cycle of CPR with Spivey performing rescue breathing and Flores doing chest compressions. The fifth cycle is strategic because that is usually when the victim's condition is reassessed by rescuers.
Kemble arrived at the incident scene about the time the AED indicated a shock was needed. His body shook, Flores said, when the AED button was pushed and the shock was administered. Then they restarted CPR.
"At the end of five cycles they looked up at me and asked if they should stop. I said ... no. Keep going. I think it was out of some sort of instinct or, the fact that I didn't want him to die," Kemble said.
This time, Flores administered chest compressions and Spivey continued rescue breaths for the patron.
Kemble said he was very proud of how the two lifeguards handled the situation. Despite of 104-degree heat, kneeling on the ground in gravel and not having masks handy, they persevered.
"It was 'textbook' CPR," Kemble said.
After a couple more cycles of CPR, the patron let out a wheezing sound. But, it wasn't a consistent breath. Kemble took over the rescue breaths and, after the third cycle, Flores said, the man started breathing on his own.
"This was my first time performing CPR on someone. I just thank God that everything went smoothly, I wasn't alone, and he is still alive," Flores said. "I also thank Him that I knew all these skills."
"It was almost scary, but I wasn't thinking (about) that. I kept hearing his daughter crying. So, I had to act. It kind of came naturally for me. Afterwards, I wondered, did I actually save a man's life'"
Flores said she gives a lot of credit to the entire aquatics team.
"At the indoor pool, we do in-service training every Friday. That's when Jason (Roberts) is in charge and makes sure we know all the water skills, CPR and first aid. We take the training very seriously," she added.
Kemble echoed the same sentiment. He said former Aquatics Director Mike Carlomany strongly impressed upon him the importance of knowing CPR and ensuring his staff is well trained. He is grateful for that and for the professionalism shown by his staff.
He said this incident impacts him strongly for several reasons, including the fact that this was only the second rescue of his career and he met and had a casual conversation with the patron for the first time that morning.
"He was dead and we were able to bring him back. I still feel emotional about it because we bought the family more time with him," Kemble said.
Editor's note: At the time of this writing, the rescued man was still in the intensive care unit of a local hospital after overcoming pneumonia, and is breathing on his own. The cause of his collapse is unknown.
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