MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — A retired Middle Tennessee State University professor is thankful to be alive after a group of students jumped to his aid using a life-saving device.
According to the American Red Cross, sudden cardiac arrest is among the leading causes of death in the United States. Every year, more than 35,000 people will suffer from cardiac arrest.
Richard Detmer, 78, became one of those people.
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For the last 18 years, Richard has spent his free time playing racquetball at least twice a week, so the last thing he expected was to go into cardiac arrest mid-game.
“We were at a glass door so I just screamed to another person, ‘Call somebody!’” explained Rajesh Srivastava, a marketing professor at MTSU and Richard’s racquetball partner.
“I guess instincts kind of kicked in,” added Gatlin Murr, a floor supervisor with MTSU’s Campus Recreation Department. “I immediately called for 2424 and for more people to assist me because I was the first person in there. “