A heartfelt reunion took place between a man and the rescuers who saved his life after the man suffered a heart attack.
View First Aid Corps World Map of AED Locations in a larger map
Scott Vengel, 52, was exercising on a stationary bike on May 24, at the Pine Island Fitness Center in Davie, just like anyone else, before he went down. That’s when some Davie Fire Rescue workers showed up and helped bring him back to life.
Vengel said he has run triathlons and marathons and was working out like any other day when his heart just stopped. People working at the fitness center jumped in with an automated external defibrillator. That and CPR saved him.
“He had one foot stuck in the pedal of the bicycle,” remembered Sam Gulla, one of those who sprung to the rescue, “and he’s laying down, and he wasn’t breathing. He was as blue as this shirt.”
Anthony Induisi also jumped in to help. “We ran up on him, his foot was connected to the bike, ripped it off, ripped off his shirt.”
“I’m definitely very, very lucky,” said Vengel. “I was in the right place at the right time, and these brave individuals saved me and they’re doing their job, which I guess is the most important thing.”
It turned out Vengel had five clogged arteries, a genetic condition he never knew he had up until this event. The doctors said he had about six minutes to be given air and CPR so he would not be left brain damaged. “He had a pulse probably after two minutes after the initial shock,” said Induisi about the the AED device that helped revive Vengel.
Vengel also said a gym member was the first to help him and started CPR before the gym employees responded with the defibrillator. He said he does not know the person, and would like to hear from him, so he can thank him personally.
