“Dad can’t breathe” ... Middle-school son saves father in cardiac arrest with CPR learned at school

[Financial News] The story has only recently emerged of a middle-school boy who saved his father, in his 40s, after he collapsed from cardiac arrest, using CPR he had learned at school.

According to the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Fire Headquarters on the 3rd, a 119 call was received at around 7:51 p.m. on the 18th of last month from an apartment in Jeonju, reporting, “Dad is having trouble breathing.”
The caller was B, the middle-school-aged son of A, a man in his 40s. B called 119 immediately after A collapsed with difficulty breathing.
But when the startled B was unable to give the exact address, the fire authorities contacted A’s wife to confirm the address and front-door passcode, then relayed them to the paramedics.
In the meantime, A lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest. B recalled the CPR he had learned in his school’s fire-safety training and immediately began chest compressions. The 119 Emergency Medical Situation Center coached him over a video call on maintaining a steady rhythm as he compressed the chest, and helped B until the paramedics arrived by showing him animated illustrations and videos.

The paramedics arrived at around 7:58 p.m. and administered advanced emergency care, including defibrillation and securing the airway. A’s heart began beating again. He was taken to Jeonbuk National University Hospital.
The fire authorities said that the valuable life was saved thanks to B’s quick initial response, the 119 call-taker’s prompt confirmation of the location, and guidance from the Emergency Medical Situation Management Center.
B’s family expressed their gratitude, saying, “We extend our heartfelt thanks to 119 for helping us protect the life of a precious family member.” They added, “Having received help, we intend to live in a way that allows us to help others if we witness a similar situation in the future.”
Jin Hyeong-min, chief of the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, said, “This valuable outcome was made possible by the son’s courage in putting the CPR he learned at school into practice in a real-life situation and by 119’s swift, systematic response.” He emphasized, “Prompt CPR by the first person to find a cardiac arrest patient is important for the patient’s survival.”
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s “Acute Cardiac Arrest Survey,” the survival rate for cardiac arrest patients was 15.3% when CPR was administered by a member of the public—about 2.7 times the rate when it was not (5.6%).
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter