By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
SLINGER, Wis. — Slinger firefighters quickly sprang into action to save one of their own when Firefighter Jeff Westphal’s heart stopped inside a fire engine.
Just as he was about to depart for a call on July 27, Westphal lost consciousness, prompting his fellow firefighters to rush to his aid, WISN reported.
“It felt like I was going in slow motion, but yet going so fast,” Captain Timothy Roskopf said.
Roskopf began CPR on Westphal within a minute of his collapse, and the crew used a defibrillator to shock his heart within three minutes. Lifestar medics then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors credited the swift response for saving his life.
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Doctors told Westphal that an electrical issue caused his heart to stop. They installed an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in his chest, but the doctor expects no long-term effects.
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