Life can surprise you at any moment, and scout leader Evan Gilder knows this well.
Leading a group of 10 Jewish scouts from New York and New Jersey, Gilder was all set for an adventurous backpacking trip through the New Mexico wilderness this summer.
Trained and ready for any medical emergencies, he never imagined that his skills would be put to the test at 30,000 feet in the air.
Gilder has been CPR-certified for 14 years but has never needed to perform the procedure. That changed on July 11 during a Southwest Airlines flight from New Mexico to New York.
After completing a 100-mile trek, the group was on their way home when a flight attendant asked if any medical professionals were on board.
According to the source, among those who volunteered were a doctor, two nurse practitioners, and Gilder, who soon found himself stepping up to help.
A passenger at the front of the plane had gone into cardiac arrest, and it became evident that the team needed more hands to perform CPR.
Gilder quickly enlisted two scouts from his troop to assist. Performing CPR, which involves forceful chest compressions, is incredibly exhausting, and no one can do it alone for long.
The team, including the scouts, Gilder, and the medical professionals, formed a line and took turns administering compressions.
With the passenger’s family anxiously watching from the front row, they tried every possible treatment from the plane’s medical kit.
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They even used EpiPens, devices typically for allergic reactions, to attempt to restart the passenger’s heart.
For over 40 minutes, they tirelessly worked to keep the man alive as the plane made an emergency descent into Pittsburgh.