WILMINGTON, DELAWARE (9/7/2015) A man who suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed while walking to the start of the Wilmington Labor Day parade this morning received quick aid at the scene and was later revived while en route to Christiana Hospital, authorities said.
The incident happened about 9:45 a.m. at 12th and King streets, said Sgt. Michael McColley, a spokesman for New Castle County paramedics.
A nearby local union member began CPR until other help arrived, McColley said. Wilmington police applied an AED, shocking the patient and continuing CPR with help from city firefighters and St. Francis emergency medical technicians.
When paramedics arrived, McColley said, the man was still without a pulse and not breathing. They initiated advanced life-support while CPR was continued although the man still had no pulse when he began the ambulance ride to the hospital.
“He arrived at Christiana Hospital with good vital signs, was awake and speaking with paramedics upon his arrival at the Emergency Department,” McColley said. “No further information regarding the case is available at this time.”
“The New Castle County paramedics cite the early recognition of an emergency with a rapid call to 911, early initiation of bystander CPR, application of an AED by police and initiation of advanced life support procedures at the scene as being critical to their ability to restore the patient’s pulses,” McColley said.