Firefighter-paramedics credited two CPR-trained restaurant employees at an award ceremony Tuesday with buying them enough time to save the life of a woman who went into cardiac arrest at the business last year.
American Heart Association: All About CPR
Patricia Burr was at the High Park Tap House Mission Viejo Oct. 11 when she went into full cardiac arrest. Manager Jeff Upton and bartender Tim Nieblas rushed to her aid and performed CPR.
The two men were recognized Tuesday by the Orange County Fire Authority with a "Life Saving Award" at OCFA Fire Station 19 in Lake Forest. Firefighter-paramedics said the actions of Upton and Nieblas bought time for responding personnel to provide more advanced life-saving aid.
"With every minute that goes by that CPR is not initiated, there's a 10-percent decrease in brain function," said OCFA firefighter-paramedic Michael Chesner, who saw Upton and Nieblas providing CPR when he arrived at the restaurant. "So by starting CPR immediately, that buys us the window to have the outcome we did.
"Those two individuals really saved her life."
A tearful Burr hugged the two heroes when they received their awards Tuesday.
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"Everyone should know CPR," Burr said. "It's because they initiated CPR right away. If they had even waited or stalled, had a second thought or backed away, I would be dead."
The restaurant's owners require CPR training for managers, Upton said. He completed his course about six months before Burr collapsed at about 2 p.m. that Saturday.
Most customers were watching college football in the bar at the time.
"The first thing I could think of is to get her on the ground and start doing CPR," said Upton.
Nieblas recalled he was mixing margaritas, then saw a woman on the floor of the restaurant.
"We'd done it so many times, it was like muscle memory," said Nieblas of his CPR training.
