{"id":2448850,"date":"2019-09-17T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=312978"},"modified":"2019-09-18T08:37:36","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T14:37:36","slug":"basalt-snowmass-lifesavers-honored-for-fast-action-in-three-cardiac-arrest-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/basalt-snowmass-lifesavers-honored-for-fast-action-in-three-cardiac-arrest-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"Basalt, Snowmass lifesavers honored for fast action in three cardiac arrest cases"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.6486486486486\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-312978-891\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/lifesavers-atd-091819-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/lifesavers-atd-091819.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | Scott Schwarting, middle, gives Basalt Police Officer Jason Hegberg a hug Tuesday during a ceremony honoring first responders for saving lives of three cardiac arrest victims this year. Hegberg performed CPR on Schwarting. Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Chief Scott Thoompson looks on.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Scott Schwarting, middle, gives Basalt Police Officer Jason Hegberg a hug Tuesday during a ceremony honoring first responders for saving lives of three cardiac arrest victims this year. Hegberg performed CPR on Schwarting. Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Chief Scott Thoompson looks on.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/lifesavers-atd-091819.jpg\" alt=\"Scott Schwarting, middle, gives Basalt Police Officer Jason Hegberg a hug Tuesday during a ceremony honoring first responders for saving lives of three cardiac arrest victims this year. Hegberg performed CPR on Schwarting. Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Chief Scott Thoompson looks on.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/lifesavers-atd-091819-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/lifesavers-atd-091819-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | Scott Akin, right, thanks Snowmass Village Police Chief Brian Olson for his role in helping save Akin's life after he suffered cardiac arrest in January.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Scott Akin, right, thanks Snowmass Village Police Chief Brian Olson for his role in helping save Akin&#8217;s life after he suffered cardiac arrest in January.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/lifesavers-atd-091819-1.jpg\" alt=\"Scott Akin, right, thanks Snowmass Village Police Chief Brian Olson for his role in helping save Akin's life after he suffered cardiac arrest in January.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/basalt-snowmass-lifesavers-honored-for-fast-action-in-three-cardiac-arrest-cases\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/basalt-snowmass-lifesavers-honored-for-fast-action-in-three-cardiac-arrest-cases\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">Dr. Scott Akin knew he was dying on the front porch of his family\u2019s Snowmass Village home on Jan. 12.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">His wife asked him if she needed to call 911.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI said, \u2018Yeah, absolutely,\u2019\u201d Akin recalled Tuesday. \u201cI knew if we got in the car to try to make it to the hospital, I would have died in the car. It\u2019s that feeling of impending death that I hope you never have to experience, but when it comes, you know it and it\u2019s real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Paramedics from Roaring Fork Fire Rescue responded to the residence within three minutes, picked Akin off the icy ground and helped him to an ambulance. While dashing through Basalt en route to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Akin went into full cardiac arrest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Paramedics performed CPR and undertook other emergency care to keep Akin alive. He was in the catheterization laboratory for assessment at Valley View less than one hour after his wife made the 911 call.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">At the fire station Tuesday morning in El Jebel, Akin recounted the experience in emotional testimony to a packed house of police and medical first responders, communication dispatchers and others responsible for pre-hospital care. Akin said he made a full recovery with no neurological damage. He thanked all involved for a flawless performance while responding to his incident.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThat\u2019s 100 percent why I had a good outcome,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything that had to go right went right \u2014 quick intervention, quick CPR, quickly (transported) to the cath lab.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI\u2019m standing here today because of you guys \u2014 your response times, your reactions. You acted absolutely flawlessly, everything you did, each and every one of you. I wanted to give you guys credit for doing your jobs at the absolute highest level of excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Akin then delivered an inspirational line that most workers will never hear in a lifetime: \u201cIf there is ever a day that any of you question why you do what you do, I\u2019m the reason, so thank you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">What made the Akin\u2019s incident remarkable was it was one of three lifesaving actions taken this year involving cardiac arrest victims in Snowmass Village and Basalt \u2014 the two communities where the combined Roaring Fork Fire Rescue operates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Scott Schwarting, a doctor of veterinary medicine, had an experience that was equally as stirring. Speaking at Tuesday\u2019s gathering, the 45-year-old Schwarting said he returned home after working out at a gym and experienced an unusual feeling that started in his chest, moved down his arms and into his face. He realized he needed help so he went to Aspen Valley Hospital After Hours Medical Care in Basalt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Shortly after arriving, he went into full cardiac arrest. Nearby doctors and Basalt police officer Jason Hegberg were the first responders and administered lifesaving CPR and defibrillation before the ambulance arrived. Paramedics provided critical care while taking him to Valley View.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cEverything fell into place exactly the way it needed to,\u201d Schwarting said. \u201cIt\u2019s humbling and the sense of gratitude that I have is overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Schwarting said he also fully recovered from the incident. He noted that the multiple cases of live-saving actions speak well about the system and personnel in place in the Roaring Fork Valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A third victim, an 81-year-old New York City resident who spends time in Snowmass Village, was walking his bicycle up the steep Snowmelt Road in Snowmass this summer when he went into cardiac arrest. Snowmass Police Chief Brian Olson and Officer Dave Heivly started CPR and used the defibrillator to treat the man until the ambulance crew arrived. The man returned to New York and is \u201cback to normal,\u201d according to his wife, Heivly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A total of 31 people \u2014 from dispatchers to doctors \u2014 were awarded Tuesday with American Heart Association Heartsaver Hero Awards for their roles in the three incidents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In addition to the Heartsaver Hero Awards, lifesaving commendations were granted to some of the first responders. Hegberg and paramedic David Klebes were credited with their second lifesaving actions during their careers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Richard Cornelius, a division chief for Roaring Fork Fire Rescue, coordinated the awards ceremony and received one himself for actions in the bicyclist\u2019s incident.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cOften times we don\u2019t have favorable outcomes when we\u2019re treating victims of cardiac arrest,\u201d Cornelius said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Nationally, only about 10 percent of victims of sudden cardiac arrest survive. The key is a \u201cchain of survival\u201d that features someone picking up a phone and seeking help early in the incident, early CPR and defibrillation, and early access to advanced life support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cEvery minute that you delay care \u2014 that\u2019s delaying CPR, delaying defibrillation \u2014 the victim\u2019s chances of survival go down 7 to 10 percent,\u201d Cornelius said. To have three victims not only survive but be discharged with no brain injury is extremely rare, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The ceremony wrapped up with a short, powerful comment by Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Chief Scott Thompson. He recalled that Akin stopped by the fire station a few days after he was released from the hospital last winter and told him, \u201cThe biggest thing for me is my sons still have their father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cTo this day, I still think about that,\u201d an emotional Thompson said. \u201cEverybody in this room has impacted three families in a huge way. You should be very proud and it should motivate you to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:scondon@aspentimes.com\">scondon@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/basalt-snowmass-lifesavers-honored-for-fast-action-in-three-cardiac-arrest-cases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scott Schwarting, middle, gives Basalt Police Officer Jason Hegberg a hug Tuesday during a ceremony honoring first responders for saving lives of three cardiac arrest victims this year. Hegberg performed CPR on Schwarting. Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Chief Scott Thoompson looks on.Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times Scott Akin, right, thanks Snowmass Village Police Chief Brian Olson [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2448850","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-26 22:23:32","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2448850"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2448872,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448850\/revisions\/2448872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2448850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2448850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2448850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}