The full title of Brian Andersen is quite an impressive one – he is a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officer and former U.S. Marine Corps 1st Division amphibious assault crew member. However, he was not serving in an official capacity when he was simply going to the gym to work out on the 239th birthday of the Marine Corps.
Fate, it seemed, had a specific role for Mr. Andersen to play on that day. He normally went to the gym at 5:30 the morning every day, exercising the discipline that he had learned in uniform. Today, however, he showed up at 11 in the morning to follow up on rehabilitation for a knee surgery that he had earlier in the day.
Everything seemed normal until Mr. Andersen noticed a look of emergency on his therapist’s face. At first, it was difficult for the former Marine to make out what was happening; however, he quickly discerned that someone was in danger. He quickly hopped off of his stationary bike and rushed to the scene to see if he could help.
His therapist, who had initially alerted him to the problem, threw him an Automated External Defibrillator and pointed him in the direction of a 62 year old man who had stopped breathing and had collapsed on the floor. Mr. Andersen’s training informed him that the man was in cardiac arrest and that his life was in immediate danger: If his heart were not made to breathe within seconds, the man would die.
Mr. Andersen began a procedure with the AED of his therapist that led to two shocks that saved the man’s life. EMTs showed up at the scene later, but by then Mr. Andersen had already started the man’s breathing again.
Mr. Andersen continues to perform with merit in his official capacities, receiving numerous awards for outstanding service. The man that he saved, Jon Kramer of Medfield, has met with him twice in order to express his thanks on behalf of himself as well as his family.
