Wisconsin Man Helps Damsels in Car Distress and Gets His Life Saved by Them Mere Minutes Later
Good Samaritan Gets Saved By Girls number of deaths per year from cardiac arrests is astounding over 356,000 cases of out-of-hospitalrecent statisticsheart attacks occur every year in America, out of which a massive ninety percent result in death. The total number of Americans who die of cardiac arrest in a single year is approximately 475,000. Cardiac arrests are a global concern and have taken more lives than other diseases, accidents, or afflictions including cancers like breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers; pneumonia, influenza, HIV, car accidents, and home fires. It’s pertinent to note that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), performed well in time, can sometimes even triple the chances of survival in cases of out-of-hospital heart attacks.
One such story is sure to leave you in the wonder of miracles. Sometime back in 2011, two cousins were forced to pull over their car on a cold and dark Wisconsin interstate highway when they had a flat tire. Unfortunately, neither of them knew how to fix it. They called one of their husbands to come to rescue them but he was a fair bit away and would take a while to get there. Sara Berg and Lisa Meier would have been lost if not for the kindness of 61-year-old Victor Giesbrecht, who pulled up with his red pickup truck next to them and fixed the tire, allowing them to move along their way. Shaking hands, Berg thanked the kind stranger and they parted ways. As Giesbrecht recalls, “Someone up above put me in the right place at the right time.”
A few minutes later and not even a quarter-mile back on the road, Berg and Meier happened to spot Giesbrecht’s vehicle pulled over. Driving over, they assumed the couple had probably forgotten something. They could see Giesbrecht’s wife frantically waving for them to come help as he had suffered a massive heart attack while driving. With no pulse to be felt on Giesbrecht, Berg, who was a certified nursing assistant, immediately started performing emergency CPR on him. Meier simultaneously dialed 911 for help.
Within another five minutes or so emergency responders were at the scene. Kate Sampson, Wisconsin state trooper, started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while Berg continued with the chest compressions. Berg remembers, “It always feels like forever at a time like that.” In a while, Meier’s husband and two deputies from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office arrived on site. They all assisted in moving Giesbrecht to the shoulder of the road. They continued performing CPR on Giesbrecht and a second deputy started shocking his heart using an automatic external defibrillator.
At the Eau Claire hospital, he was further treated as needed and kept under observation. Fernandes, who was part of the medical team treating Giesbrecht said, “We know for sure that the CPR the woman did increase his chances for survival.” She went on to say that “It was a nice twist of fate. ”
Berg, who was a bit emotional, said that it was a team effort that saved Giesbrecht. “We both have felt kind of guilty that having helped us caused his health issue. But people keep telling us that maybe it put us in the right place at the right time when he was going to need help,” she said.
Ann Giesbrecht, the wife of Victor also played a vital role in saving her husband’s life. She initially guided the truck to the shoulder of the road once she realized he was having a major cardiac event. She gratefully said, “Nowadays, nobody ever really stops to offer their help. It’s kind of scary sometimes because you really don’t know what you’re getting into.” She went on to say, “Giesbrecht is the type who always wants to stop to help a stranded motorist. He’s the type of person who gives you 100 percent and worries about himself later.” She thanked the two girls for their quick actions, which helped save her husband’s life, saying to Berg, “You actually saved his life.”
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