By News Staff
AURORA, Colo. — A group of first responders on a coffee break in November saved a woman who went into cardiac arrest.
9News reported that three Aurora Fire Department firefighter-paramedics were at a coffee shop when they were alerted by Janice Winter’s friend that the 78-year-old woman was not feeling well.
“About 10, 12 steps away from the car I knew I was in terrible trouble,” Winter said. “Because I just really couldn’t breathe. I was in bad, bad shape.”
As the responders assessed Winter’s condition, she collapsed onto one of them.
The firefighter-paramedics immediately began treating her.
“That was the first time I have ever been at the same place a cardiac arrest occurred, so, it’s definitely a rare event,” firefighter-paramedic Ben Ross said. “The fact that we were able to get CPR immediately from when her heart stopped – that tremendously affected her ability to recover as well as she did.”
Winter said she has a pacemaker now and is doing great. She recently stopped by the fire station to say “thank you” and drop off some gift baskets for the responders who saved her.
“Every time I see a firefighter now, I’m going to remember,” Winter said. “There’s just no – there’s nothing that can really express how you feel. But, I’ll never forget any of them.”