Hastings Teens' CPR, Teamwork Helps Save Man's Life
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Two young ladies who play on Hastings High School girl's hockey team worked as a team to save a life.
They were on their way to school when they saw a man laying on an icy driveway. The man was unresponsive next to West 15th Street in Hastings.
"It's a remarkable story we're very proud of the actions that they did," Hastings Fire Chief Mike Schutt said.
Schutt is singing the praises of the two young ladies whose unselfish act saved a life.
"When it's cold outside, some people may just bypass the scene and think nothing of it," he said.
It was -8 degrees Friday morning when Sydney Radke was on her way to pick up her teammate Addie Buck on the way to school.
"I was just going down the road and I see this guy in this bright, blue T-shirt," Radke said. "It's -8, why is someone out in the cold like that? I just felt like something was wrong, so I called Addie and said we need to go back."
The girls turned the car around and went back to see if everything was OK.
"They guy was like 'No, I don't know what happened,' and he was trying to do CPR with one hand, and learn how to do it over the phone," Radke said.
Buck grabbed a blanket from the car while Radke ran to the man's side.
"When I got to him, his lips and tongue were blue and both his eyes were open, and it just didn't look good," Radke said. "So I just started doing compressions. At about the 25th compressio,n he took a couple of breaths and Addie was like, 'Syd, is that you or him breathing?'"
The girls say the man stopped breathing, they did more chest compressions until Hastings Police and Fire arrived. Officers used the AED they all carry in squad cars to revive the man.
"We helped them get the stretcher since his driveway was so icy," Buck said.
Buck and Radke say they still can't believe they helped save a life, and now both want to help others be in a position to do the same.
"I just want to spread awareness and have people take CPR," Radke said.
Radke was required to get her CPR certification at her summer job at a Hastings day care. Her CPR instructor is also a paramedic EMT with the Hastings Fire Department.
Chief Schutt will recognize the two young women officially during a city council meeting sometime next month.