MILWAUKEE — The stars were aligned for a man who went into sudden cardiac arrest. Now he and the people who saved them are supporting awareness to how his life was saved to help others.
This all happened back in March at Pulaski High School.
66-year-old Bob Schmidt was playing pickle ball with his wife of 39 years, Mary.
"I felt maybe I was dehydrated and needed some water that's definitely the last thing I remember," said Schmidt.
Brian Smallcombe helps fill in what he witnessed, "He turned blue instantly and stopped breathing."
The nursing student had been dragging his feet to watch his partner play. March second was the first time he decided to go. That's the same day Bob's heart would stop beating, "It was kind of like fate I think cause I'm trained in CPR."
Brian jumped into action, "Make sure the airway secure, pounded on his chest. No response..."
Bob's wife Mary helped give breaths as workers with Milwaukee Recreation found an AED.
Brian recalled, "Because of that defibrillator Bob was giving hand signals and voice commands and I got his heart started and his heart stopped on me twice."
A spokesperson with Milwaukee Recreation believes this is the first person to be saved by one of their AEDs. They plan to now have AEDs at every location by next season.
"Having an AED in every public place is truly a necessity. Having an AED is truly what saved Bob's life," said Smallcombe.
Brian will graduate with his nursing degree in December. In the meantime, he's pushing for more public areas to have AEDs. Highlighting programs like 'Project Adam.' Its goal is to have defibrillators in every Wisconsin School.
