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Man Reunited A Year Later With Good Samaritans Who Saved His Life

Sunday was the first time the group got together again, and they assure it won’t be the last as they vowed to stay friends forever

Last June an air traveler collapsed at Midway Airport in full cardiac arrest, when four medically-trained Good Samaritans from all over the U.S. saved his life—a year later, the man is reunited with his heroes.

Hutz Hertzberg credits faith after explaining that he was happy and healthy, ready to board a flight for a family trip, when he suddenly fell down, losing complete consciousness.

Ten-year-old Micaela Yarbrough saw him and alerted her medically-trained father who was the first to rush over.

“Hutz is already shading blue at this point and I kind of mobilized the c spine,” Rick Yarbrough said.

Army-trained nurse Dan Blasini, says he usually cuts it as close as possible before boarding a flight but on June 23, 2018 he just happened to arrive at Midway four hours early.

“We started doing CPR working to stabilize him until the paramedics came,” Blasini recalled.

Then Erika Van Hook, an EMT, and Bridgett Tyler, a registered nurse, quickly ran over the victim.

“As a nurse you don’t think twice its an automatic response, you run to the area,” Tyler explained.

Tyler positioned his head and neck, while Hook started mouth-to-mouth, preparing his body for the defibrillator

Experts say less 5% of people survive a cardiac arrest outside the hospital and only 1% regain full mental and physical function.

Hertzberg beat every odd.

“To think of those people, working together to save my husband’s life is truly overwhelming and I am forever grateful,” said his wife, Lynne Hertzberg.

Ranging from Colorado, Texas, Ohio and Kentucky—these four individuals all happened to be in the right place at the right time and the group is taking zero credit for the work they did a year ago; They say they are merely thankful for the lasting impact it’s had on everyone’s lives.

“We’re all from different parts of the U.S. and it was an honor and a privilege to work together in God’s name, so we’re here for that,” said Blasini.

Hertzberg was taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn where he recovered and was released in just four days.

Sunday was the first time the group got together again, and they assure it won’t be the last as they vowed to stay friends forever. 

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