Don Weir, 66, suffered a heart attack on Feb. 15 after swimming at the Indiana University Natatorium on the campus of Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis.
Weir, a father of seven and grandfather of four, had been working out in the pool for more than two decades before his life-changing ordeal, one he feels fortunate to have survived.
Feb. 15 was not a normal day for lifeguards. Although they undergo hours of training and practice to be ready to respond when someone in the water needs their help, they put those skills to the test in a real-world situation.
Five of them were involved in the rescue, not poolside, but in the locker room.
Weir had just finished swimming laps when he collapsed on the locker room floor. Another swimmer found him, and lifeguards rushed in to help.
CPR was performed on Weir, and an automatic defibrillator was used until paramedics arrived.
Weir was rushed to the hospital, where doctors were able to stabilize him.
On Monday, Weir was able to go back to the pool to thank those who saved him.
“I could hardly wait. I had no memory for five days,” he said. “They told me what happened. It was very important I get here.”
“Knowing that we kept a family together, it’s just unbelievable,” said lifeguard Christina Reitz. “You don’t think about that when you get up in the morning.”
Weir is still going through cardiac rehabilitation. He won’t be able to come back to swim until he gets clearance from a doctor, but Weir said he looks forward to returning to the pool.
