Kids & Family

Two Credited for Saving a Life in Dana Point

A 59-year-old man's heart had stopped beating completely while working out. A physical therapist next door grabbed a defibrillator and shocked the man's heart. He and a trainer then started CPR.

A trainer and a physical therapist were being credited with helping to safe a man's life at a fitness center in Dana Point today.

A 59-year-old man collapsed about 4:30 p.m. at Kardia Life Fitness Center, 24582 Del Prado, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

Quick-thinking personal trainer Christy Grebel checked his pulse and realized he was not breathing so she directed someone to call 911, Concialdi said.

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Derek Dunn, a physical therapist next door, who had just graduated from paramedic school, grabbed an automatic external defibrillator and used it to shock the man's heart, Concialdi said.

"He was in full arrest, meaning he was dead," Concialdi said. "His heart had stopped and he was not breathing,"

Find out what's happening in Laguna Niguel-Dana Pointwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Grebel and Dunn tried to revive the man with the defibrillator and CPR until paramedics arrived within four minutes, Concialdi said.

"Our firefighter paramedics arrived, shocked him one time, intubated him and started an IV and he started coming to," Concialdi said.

"By the time he got to the hospital he was talking to our firefighter-paramedics... This gentleman probably would have died and not come back to life if not for the two bystanders who started CPR right away and used the defibrillator to shock him twice."

--City News Service


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