DuPage forest preserve worker honored for saving man's life

A seasonal employee for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District is being hailed as a hero after giving CPR to a golfer who stopped breathing.

Eugene “Gene” Mitz, who works as a service attendant at Green Meadows Golf Course in Westmont, found the golfer on the ground June 10 near the tee at the seventh hole. The man told Mitz he was suffering from back pain.

Mitz started to drive the man back to the pro shop in his golf cart. But during the ride, the man became unresponsive and slumped in the passenger seat.

Realizing the man had stopped breathing, Mitz started doing chest compressions and giving him rescue breaths. The man regained consciousness in about 30 seconds.

After getting the man to the pro shop, Mitz called 911, attempted to keep the man cool and talked to him to keep him alert until paramedics arrived.

“I'm very happy to say that Gene's wherewithal that day saved (the victim's) life,” forest preserve President Joseph Cantore said.

On Tuesday, Cantore and forest preserve commissioners honored Mitz by presenting him with a plaque during their board meeting.

“I'm just fortunate that I was the right guy at the right place at the right time,” Mitz said. “I do believe in divine intervention, and things happen for reasons.”

He said he's happy things turned out the way they did.

Before joining Green Meadows in 2015, Mitz was an assistant football coach for Benedictine University in Lisle and served as an educator, assistant principal and athletic coach at various institutions throughout his career.

Mitz completed the forest preserve district's CPR and defibrillator training on June 1, just days before helping the golfer.

“His life experience and leadership enabled him to put his training into action in a time of need,” Cantore said.