Firefighter, nurses revive collapsed man at Joliet gym
By BRIAN STANLEY bstanley@stmedianetwork.com January 21, 2013 3:40PM
Updated: February 23, 2013 6:27AM
Does anyone here know CPR?
Yes, yes, yes and yes were the fortunate answers for a man who collapsed while exercising Monday morning at Inwood Athletic Club in Joliet.
At 8:40 a.m., the 70-year-old man was sitting on a workout bench when he suddenly fell backward and appeared to be in full cardiac arrest, Fitness Coordinator Gina Giarrante-Rodriguez said.
When a trainer and another member moved to assist him, the commotion got the attention of Joel Mauser, who had come to work out after finishing a shift at the Joliet Fire Department.
Mauser started CPR and was soon joined by two nurses who were also there to exercise.
“As they were working on him, one of our off-duty lifeguards brought the AED (automated external defibrillator) to use before the ambulance arrived,” Giarrante-Rodriguez said.
Battalion Chief Jeff Carey said the victim’s pulse had been restored when firefighters got there and the man was “talking and responsive” as he was taken to Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center.
