On Monday, December 22, Get Air Salem trampoline park employees were presented with Challenge Coins and commendation letters for saving the life of Michael O’Donnell, father of seven. The commendation letters recognize the teamwork of Lazelle Magnusson, Sarah Brending, Ismael Arroyo, Brayed Childress, Victoria VanLannan and Jeremy Magnusson. The letters and coins were presented by the Salem, Oregon Fire Department.
Michael O’Donnell, 59, considered himself healthy and active, and exercised frequently. That was what he was doing at the Get Air Salem trampoline park on November 1 when he experienced sudden cardiac arrest.
“I had been bouncing around for a half-hour,” he reported. “I just started walking and probably walked about five paces and just sort of collapsed.”
Lazelle Maganusson and Sarah Brending, employees at Get Air Salem, 3910 Rickey St. SE, ran to his assistance and began CPR. At that point they noted that he was not breathing and was unconscious. They immediately called 911, attached an automatic external defibrillator (AED) to O’Donnell’s chest and began shocking his heart. After one shock, his pulse resumed.
For every minute that passes after a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival decrease by 10 percent. The fire department arrived four minutes after the 911 summons.
Fire Chief Niblock said, “They extended our window to get there. Michael was responsive by the time they got to the hospital.”
O’Donnell was able to speak with emergency staff at Salem Hospital. “It’s only by the grace of God that the place I’m going to have a heart attack is not while riding my bike,” he declared.
O’Donnell was released the next day and returned home with no neurological damage.
Niblock considered O’Donnell’s case a complete save. “Our definition of a save is they leave the hospital as good as before it happened. This type of save is pretty rare.”
Get Air Salem Manager Natalie Magnusson appreciated the recognition of employees just before the holidays. At a business with so much physical activity she trusts that the emergency training she provides will come through in a crisis.
“The employees who were involved didn’t feel like they had done anything special,” the manager said. “They felt like they were just doing their job. I think they did more than their job.”
Responding medics praised the staff members’ training and fast action. If it wasn’t for the Get Air employees’ quick response, they concur, O’Donnell might not have made it.
Check out our AED and CPR training class schedule to be prepared to help save a life.
