The Lunch Break
November 20, 2024
Two first responders with AMR Western Washington save a life on their lunch break
Seattle is beautiful in mid-September. It’s not yet autumn, but the leaves in the city are beginning to turn bright yellow, orange and red. And with the weather being mild, it’s common to see many people in the area still enjoying the great outdoors like walking, running or biking. But for AMR Western Washington EMT-B, Emma Lindekugel and Field Training Officer and EMT Thien Ngo, a lunch break on that scenic day near a popular lake came to a sudden stop when they heard about a person who collapsed just a couple of yards from their location.
“We were posted in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle eating lunch in our ambulance when Thien stepped outside for some fresh air,” recalls Lindekugel. “Within a few minutes, he returned to the ambulance, saying a bystander told him that someone had fallen down on a nearby bike path.”
Lindekugel and Ngo quickly went to help, carrying their jump kit, AED (automated external defibrillator), Narcan and EpiPen.
“When we came to the scene, we saw someone lying on the ground with a bystander performing chest compressions on them. That’s when we took over,” said Lindekugel.
Lindekugel and Ngo then began CPR on the patient and used the AED, eventually obtaining ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation). Then, with the help of the Seattle Fire Department, the patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
“It didn’t click in my mind what actually had just happened; I was very concerned about the patient because I didn’t know if they would recover from the event,” said Lindekugel. “It was only after I found out that the patient’s outcome was positive that I could take a step back and feel proud of what Thien and I did.”
“We were posted in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle eating lunch in our ambulance when Thien stepped outside for some fresh air,” recalls Lindekugel. “Within a few minutes, he returned to the ambulance, saying a bystander told him that someone had fallen down on a nearby bike path.”
Lindekugel and Ngo quickly went to help, carrying their jump kit, AED (automated external defibrillator), Narcan and EpiPen.
“When we came to the scene, we saw someone lying on the ground with a bystander performing chest compressions on them. That’s when we took over,” said Lindekugel.
Lindekugel and Ngo then began CPR on the patient and used the AED, eventually obtaining ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation). Then, with the help of the Seattle Fire Department, the patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
“It didn’t click in my mind what actually had just happened; I was very concerned about the patient because I didn’t know if they would recover from the event,” said Lindekugel. “It was only after I found out that the patient’s outcome was positive that I could take a step back and feel proud of what Thien and I did.”
