Schererville gym members, employees save man with CPR

SCHERERVILLE, Ind. (AP) - On Jan. 20, Gabriel Colin was running on the treadmill when, he said, "The lights went out."

When he came to, he heard voices asking him questions. He opened his eyes and saw paramedics hovered over him. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors told him he had gone into cardiac arrest.

Colin told this story Monday at Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness, where, a month after the incident, he reunited with the gym members and employees who likely saved his life. He was excited to start exercising again.

"I can't wait because I love working out here," said Colin, 61, a machine operator from East Chicago.

Representatives of the American Heart Association and Schererville Fire Department were on hand to tout the benefits of learning CPR.

"It is about all of us making community members and family members understand the importance of CPR," said Sharon Sporman, regional executive director of wellness for Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness. "Because it does save lives."

Only about 7 percent of the U.S. population is trained in CPR, the American Heart Association estimates. Meanwhile, more than 90 percent of cardiac arrest victims die and less than 15 percent of them receive CPR, which doubles the chance of survival. Heart disease is the leading killer of Americans.

Omni trains all of its employees in CPR and using automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, and conducts quarterly emergency drills with the Schererville Fire Department. Sporman said Omni is willing to volunteer to train other local businesses in CPR and AEDs.

"You sprung into action and you saved a life," Diane Kemp, executive director of the American Heart Association for Northwest Indiana, told Colin's rescuers Monday.

Chrystal Solola, of Munster, was working out on a weight machine Jan. 20 at Omni when she heard a boom and saw people looking in the direction of the treadmills. She walked over and found Colin passed out on the ground.

"There was no pulse," she recalled.

She used her training as a physician's assistant and started doing CPR chest compressions on Colin. Moments later, Omni staff arrived with oxygen and a defibrillator and got to work. Paramedics arrived shortly after.

Three days later, Colin underwent open heart surgery. He had no prior indications of heart problems.

"We never know when somebody's going to have a cardiac event," Schererville Fire Chief Joe Kruzan said. "It's because we work together that people are alive today."

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Source: The (Northwest Indiana) Times, http://bit.ly/2lsq6vU

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com