Seven weeks ago, a California City man who suddenly went into cardiac arrest was on death’s doorstep. Now, he’s getting ready to spend a special Christmas with his family. First responders say it's a good example of how knowing what to do during an emergency can save your life.
Scott Van De Flier and his wife were reunited Monday with the paramedics, firefighters and police who came to his aid and saved his life.
''If it hadn't been for you and what you do, I wouldn't have been able to celebrate my birthday and Christmas,'' Van De Flier told the rescuers Monday.
''Really,'' he said, ''Thank you.''
In late October, when he was just 43 years old, Van De Flier suffered a heart attack described as minor. Two days later, as he was relaxing on the couch at home, it became major.
''I went into full cardiac arrest,'' he said. ''I was at home, from what I was told."
He collapsed and wasn't breathing.
His wife, Krista, started CPR. She's a certified child care provider who was required to learn it to get a state license.
Help was on the way but, to Krista, it seemed hopeless.
''I had gotten him down on the floor and everything,'' she said Monday, ''And I look over, and my 6-year-old daughter is staring at me, and tears are running down her face, and she's just staring at me with these big old brown eyes."
But emergency crews -– first California City Police, then Hall Ambulance and California City fire fighters -– arrived and took over.
''He was as close to death as you can get,'' said Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Roach. ''No heart rate, no heart activity. He wasn't breathing on his own, wasn't responding to anything."
Police took over CPR from Krista, and firefighters and Hall Ambulance crews took over from police.
Paramedics put a tube down Scott's throat to force air into his lungs. They defibrillated him twice before getting a regular heartbeat. Once stabilized, an ambulance took him to the California City Airport, where an air ambulance flew him to Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster.
But now he's home, and knows how close he came to never coming back. ''I was in full cardiac arrest. If it hadn't been for my wife doing CPR, I'd be dead.''
That means his family can spend another Christmas with dad.
''He means everything to me,'' said daughter Kayla. ''Like, I would not want to celebrate Christmas without him."
Those who helped bring Van De Flier back take pride in seeing him on his feet and smiling. ''There's no way to describe the feeling of a person that was not breathing, had no pulse, standing before you, talking,'' said Hall Ambulance Paramedic James Metzger.
Hall Spokesman Mark Corum said the rescue was the result of teamwork that began with Krista's knowledge of CPR.
Corum provided these details:
Heart attack is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Each year, more than 1 million people suffer from heart attacks, and of those, nearly 50% die. The chances of recovering from a heart attack improve dramatically when the chain of survival, supported by the American Heart Association is followed, which includes:
Early recognition of the signs of a heart attack
and activitation of 9-1-1
Early CPR
Early Defibrillation
Early Advanced Care
By knowing the signs of a heart attack, you can play a vital role in saving the life of a friend or relative.
Signs include:
Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve pain in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. Discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body:
Can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath: Often comes along with or prior to chest discomfort.
Other symptoms: Might include a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness.
