An eternally grateful St. Johns County man visited the Ponte Vedra Beach firehouse to recognize the firefighters and paramedics who saved his life.
On January 19, crews from Tower 1 and Rescue 1 on Canal Blvd. responded to a cardiac arrest call.
As they rushed to the scene, a young bystander quickly recognized that the man was in distress, called 911, and performed CPR — a “critical action that gave the patient the best possible chance of survival,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
When responders reached the unnamed patient was in full cardiac arrest.
Firefighters and paramedics quickly applied advanced equipment — including the EleGARD monitor and LUCAS mechanical CPR device.
The man soon achieved ROSC (Return of Spontaneous Circulation) and was rushed to Mayo Clinic for further care.
Remarkably, he made a full neurological recovery and returned to work just weeks later.
In a heartfelt gesture of gratitude, he and his family recently visited the station to personally thank the crews — even bringing lunch.
“Moments like these remind us why we train, why we work so hard, and how powerful early CPR and teamwork can be,” St. Johns County Fire Rescue said.
Facebook commenters lauded the team, including Shea Owen, spouse of one of the firefighters.
“That’s my husband on the far right!” she wrote. “Proud of you, honey.”
