Photo By Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Perez | On July 5, Staff Sgt. Colton Sirstins, a member of the Utah Air National Guard’s...... read more read more
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Colton Sirstins and his wife, Erika, just finished work on their farm in Riverton, Utah. It was Tuesday, July 5, 2022, another scorching hot summer day in Utah. For Sirstins, a staff sergeant with the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Logistics Readiness Squadron, the day started like every other day.
After retreating to their house, they turned on their tv and sank into their couch—both exhausted from a long, hot day of work. They had planned on going to the store later in the evening when it cooled off outside, but they both had this feeling that they needed to go to the store now. Sirstins is one to trust his gut instinct, so they left.
Within five minutes at the store, they heard a call for help. They ran around the corner aisle and saw a man laying face down on the ground.
“I saw his legs moving initially, so I was thinking okay, maybe it's a seizure,” Sirstins recalled of the scene. “When I got closer, I saw that his face was blue—he’s not getting any circulation.”
A fellow bystander, Cameron Cole, knelt down next to the individual and called 911. Cole handed the phone to Sirstins; they turned the individual over and started chest compressions. Cole, in his mid-forties, hadn't done any sort of CPR training since he was a teenager.
The 911 operator stayed on the line, reassuring them that help was on the way and guiding them in their first-aid efforts.
“The 911 operator made us verbally count the chest compressions and conduct the compressions at the right rhythm and pace,” said Sirstins. “Having that communication made it so much easier. It was a team effort!”
After about two minutes, an exhausted Cole asked for Sirstins to take over. He performed chest compressions, a technique he was required to learn to coach football and soccer, as well as training he received throughout his military career—as recently as six weeks earlier—but had never administered in a real-world situation.
In all, they performed CPR for approximately five minutes before emergency medical workers arrived.
While the experience in itself was both scary and exhausting, the most difficult part for Sirstens was not knowing if the individual was ok after medical personal took him to the hospital.
“That was tough,” he recalled. “I was looking at obituaries the next day. I called the fire department, the police department, the city, nobody could give me an answer due to privacy issues. I was left in the dark. Talk about an anxious couple of days.”
On Thursday, July 7, Sirstins saw a Facebook post that the family was looking for the individuals who provided aid to their family member, Scott Claire. Sirstins was able to connect with Claire’s sister, the two exchanged phone numbers and spoke for about 45 minutes that night.
“It was powerful,” Sirstins recalled of their conversation. “Many happy tears were shed on both sides.”
Sirstins learned that Claire suffered ventricular tachycardia, a heart rhythm problem, and that his heart had stopped. The doctors told Claire’s family that the people who performed CPR new what they were doing, that they broke Scott’s ribs in the process, and that Claire likely would not have survived the encounter without their lifesaving efforts.
"It's an incredible feeling," Sirstins said. "Being able to serve my fellow man is huge.”
Sirstins, Cole, and Claire have since connected, and on Monday, July 18, they met in person with their families for a barbecue.
“We talked football, life, and God,” Sirstins shared of their conversations. “We all connect on a spiritual level, we have so much in common—we will be lifelong friends!”
When reflecting on the events of the day and what led him to act, he said that it was humbling experience that has left him confident in his ability to act in challenging situations.
“You don’t think, you just act when it comes to a situation like that,” he said. “My life wasn’t in danger, but I was confident in my ability to help. I already knew I'm capable of doing something that could help my fellow man. This experience solidified that feeling. I have all of the confidence that if I were to run into a similar situation, I would handle it with grace.”
Staying current on your first aid and CPR training could be the difference is saving a life
It can happen during a deployment, in the field, in the workplace or at home. Knowing how to recognize and respond to sudden cardiac arrest could be the difference in saving a life.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital in the U.S. each year. In cardiac arrest, death can result quickly if proper steps aren’t taken immediately. Cardiac arrest may be reversed if CPR is performed, and a defibrillator shocks the heart and restores a normal heart rhythm within a few minutes.
Proper CPR training is not only a medical force multiplier for the military, but also empowers servicemembers to save lives at home or the communities that they live in.
We know basic skills can easily erode without practice which is why all service members should maintain their training. Thanks to Sirstins CPR knowledge, he knew what to do when needed.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2022 17:30 |
| Story ID: | 426816 |
| Location: | SALT LAKE CITY, UT, US |
| Hometown: | RIVERTON, UT, US |
| Web Views: | 187 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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