High Schooler Saved by AED and CPR
Story from Maddie Augustine, Anchor/Reporter with KETV Omaha.
GLENWOOD, Iowa — During an annual boys high school track meet at Glenwood High School on Tuesday, a student-athlete collapsed.
Creston Community High School freshman Nate Bentley had just finished his 100-meter leg of the sprint medley relay. It was just the second heat of the entire event. Bentley handed off the baton to his teammate, turned and took three steps and collapsed into lane 8.
"Don't know if it's an injury, don't know a hamstring," Jeff Bissen, Glenwood High School activities director, said. "Don't know really what it is. At the time, just trying to get people in the right place to help him out."
Just mere moments later, Bissen said it was clear this was not just an injury; Bentley wasn't breathing.
"He was unresponsive, and that's when CPR went into into play," Bissen said.
That's when Bissen said he took off from the press box to grab the AED from the training room, which is nearly 50 yards away from where Bentley was.
"One of our one of our coaches on our team is also on the Council Bluffs Police Department," Bissen said. "He grabbed the AED got that hooked up, one shock. And we're able to get him breathing again."
Within four minutes of 911 being called, Bissen said paramedics were on site.
"Without this first responders, without an AED, without someone performing CPR, the children's hospital doctors told me the kid wouldn't have made it," Bissen said. "So, that gives you goosebumps just thinking about that."
Bissen said they're grateful to have the trained staff that they do to help in situations like this. He also said Glenwood has an AED in every school and facility and hopes every other school will follow suit because he said no matter the cost, they're worth it.
"Had we not have something on site last night? I got to run in the middle school, I got to run in high school, and that's a two, three, four-minute time period that we're just missing out on trying to save someone's life," Bissen said. "Saving a kid's life is priceless. The cost of life is priceless, and so, to me, it needs to be required. People should have them."
Currently, there is a bill in the Iowa legislature that would make Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs) mandatory. CERPs establish specific steps to take in response to a cardiac emergency in a school setting.
Nate Bentley is still in the hospital. The Creston Community High School and his mother sharing that he is responsive and showing some signs of improvement but has been undergoing many tests. To donate to his recovery process, you can send a Venmo to his mother @Erin-Wallace-103.
Link to the full story here.