You likely won’t catch Wonder Woman, Superman or any other superhero pumping iron at your local gym, but one Upland 24 Hour Fitness was the site of a heroic act.
Kirk Kennedy was finishing up his set of sit-ups on the morning of April 16 when he suddenly collapsed to the ground, leaving fitness enthusiasts stunned and unsure of what to do. The sound of a woman’s screams alerted fellow gym-goer – and now hero – Kellie Collier, who quickly went to the aid of the fallen man.
Collier, who works in medical imaging, searched for a pulse on Kennedy and found that he had none. Upon her realization that her fellow gym-attendee suffered a heart attack, Collier asked a bystander to get her an AED.
Acting quickly, she conducted CPR on Kennedy and used the device to revive the man. Soon after, Kennedy was responsive.
"He just shot up," Collier said. "It's very surreal. It still doesn’t feel real to me."
Collier had never used an AED prior to the rescue, but her profession keeps her up to date on emergency rescue training. She followed what she knew and was successful in reviving Kennedy.
Because her brave actions saved a life, Collier was given a Lifesaving Award by the San Bernardino County Fire Chief, Mark Hartwig, on Thursday.
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Collier and Kennedy were all smiles at the reception, where Kennedy expressed his gratitude to the woman who saved him and described her as an angel.
Kennedy's "angel" jokes that she hopes she never has to use an AED again.
