Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 13:31 EDT

CPR and Fire-Rescue Save Man Who Was Jogging

Mr. Thomas Maimone, a very healthy and active 52 year old man, was taking a routine 10 mile jog in his neighborhood when he suddenly collapsed beside the road in cardiac arrest. Thanks to two couples who were driving by at the time of this incident, his life was spared. The passerby’s called 911 and quickly started CPR. When the City of Delray Beach Fire-Rescue Paramedics arrived they were able to shock his heart into a survivable rhythm giving him a second chance at life.

Mr. Tom Elowson and his fiancée were driving around in the neighborhood for 10 minutes looking for an address they couldn’t find. They were lost when they spotted a man who was jogging and suddenly collapse beside the road. Another man in a Jeep, Mr. Gary Corvino and his wife Kathy were also in the area just turning the corner and saw the commotion. They quickly called 911.

Mr Elowson stated that he started chest compressions and was thinking back to a Today Show episode, with Matt Lauer that he had watched a few months ago. He remembered them going over the new American Heart Association Guidelines showing how to push on the chest “Hard and Fast”. They were playing music from the Bee Gee’s Song, “Staying Alive” while doing compressions to show how fast you should push the chest. Mr. Elowson said he never watches the Today Show, but he got caught up in the music and the demonstration that day and couldn’t stop watching the program. He did not know that in the near future, this show would help him to save a life. The other man who was in the Jeep jumped in and they worked together performing CPR; Mr. Corvino doing breaths and Mr. Elowson doing chest compressions to the beat of the song, “Staying Alive”. A lot of people gathered around the two men and held hands and prayed together according to witnesses at the scene. Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and had to defibrillate Mr. Maimone’s heart which put it into a normal heart rhythm. He was transported to the nearest hospital where doctor’s discovered he had a blockage in his heart. Mr. Maimone said that wants to let everyone know to “Get a test to check for plaque in your arteries, no matter how healthy you think you are!” he also included, “Learn CPR and watch the Today Show. You never know what you might learn!!!”

City of Delray Beach Fire-Rescue Community Education Specialist and CPR Instructor, Lt. Trisha Dunkelmann said, “Mr. Maimone is alive because of the quick actions and good compressions that were provided prior to The City of Delray Beach Fire-Rescue paramedic’s arrival to defibrillate.” Delray Beach Fire Chief, David C. James encourages everyone to learn CPR, by contacting a local American Heart Association or Red Cross. “You are the most important link in the 'Chain of Survival'.”

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