By EMS1 Staff
MCMINN COUNTY, Tenn. — Five EMTs were recognized after saving their colleague’s life last year.
EMT Tyler Johnson, 24, was at the station when he fell ill and collapsed March 2016; he was unresponsive and stopped breathing.
His colleagues — Ashley Bryan, Justin West, William Hardy, Michael Bobich and Lance McConkey — worked to revive him and transported him to a medical center
“Our training kicked in,” McConkey told the Daily Post-Athenian. “What we did do was enough and that’s a good thing. There was also a high power than us at work.”
Johnson was later transported to a different hospital, where he underwent open heart surgery. He had five blocked vessels and underwent a quadruple bypass procedure.
McConkey said treating one of their own was a surreal experience. “It was kind of overwhelming — that was just like a member of our own family.”
The five were honored with the 2016 Medical Call of the Year Award for their lifesaving efforts.