Photo: Courtesy of the New Hampshire Department of Safety
CONCORD, New Hampshire (WBZ NewsRadio) — A New Hampshire man was reunited with the 9-1-1 dispatcher and first responders who he says saved his life after surviving a sudden cardiac arrest in September on Thursday.
The New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Emergency Services and Communications held a ceremony for Dave Hughes, of Windham, at the Incident Planning and Operations Center in Concord, giving him the opportunity to thank the emergency responders who came to his aid during his time of need.
On September 1, Hughes was doing yard work when he suddenly collapsed. His wife, Wendy Hughes, called 9-1-1 where she spoke with Assistant Supervisor Abigail Rider. Hughes told Rider she did not believe her husband was breathing.
Within 47 seconds Rider determined he was experiencing symptoms of cardiac arrest and notified Windham Police and Emergency Medical Services. Less than two minutes into the call, Rider walked Hughes through the steps of CPR so she could perform it on her husband until help arrived, according to the New Hampshire Department of Safety.
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“Our emergency medical dispatchers are highly-skilled and trained in providing lifesaving instructions over the phone,” Mark Doyle, Director of the Division of Emergency Services and Communications, said in a statement. “Abigail’s quick recognition of the situation enabled her to request an ambulance expediently, and, while waiting for responders to arrive, she calmly provided CPR instructions that kept Mr. Hughes going until he reached a higher level of care.”
About six weeks after the medical emergency, Dave Hughes shared a post on Facebook thanking the first responders that helped him. In the post, he shared that hospital staff were not optimistic about his chances of a full recovery at first, but he has since been released from rehab with little to no lasting effects.
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