By Laura French
MANCHESTER, N.H. — A New Hampshire firefighter who went into cardiac arrest while fighting a fire in May thanked the fellow first responders who saved him at an event on Monday.
Manchester Firefighter Craig Ferry recently returned to duty after recovering from the medical emergency that occurred during a house fire on May 25, according to Patch.com. While making entry into the home, Ferry collapsed in the doorway under heavy smoke conditions, according to a statement by American Medical Response Regional Director Christopher Stawasz.
Fellow Manchester firefighters called in a mayday and pulled Ferry out of the building. Ferry was not breathing, had no pulse and had turned blue, according to Stawasz. Firefighters and AMR paramedics began CPR, and Ferry was defibrillated twice in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Paramedics continued CPR and Ferry regained a pulse. He arrived at the hospital 20 minutes after being pulled from the fire, with a strong pulse and breathing on his own.
Stawasz credited the individual actions of the four AMR EMS providers and nine Manchester firefighters involved in Ferry’s rescue with saving his life. Ferry was recently cleared to return to duty and thanked his rescuers at an event held at Manchester’s AMR headquarters on Monday.