Richard Detmer, a retired professor from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), recently met with the students and police officers who saved his life during a cardiac arrest. Detmer was playing racquetball with Raj Srivastava when he collapsed. Srivastava, MTSU students, and Campus Recreation staff members quickly called for help and provided immediate care.
Jack Morris, an aerospace student, was asked to call for help after witnessing Detmer’s collapse. Julia Rutledge, Gatlin Murr, Andrew Scrugham, and Jasmine Jackson, all from MTSU, were among the first to respond. Murr, a computer science major, was the first to request an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) from the MTSU Police dispatch.
The students’ quick response, along with Campus Police’s Angela Todd and Patrol Lt. Walter Spain, played a crucial role in saving Detmer’s life. The Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department then transported Detmer to Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital for further treatment. Detmer, 78, was unconscious for the weekend but has since fully recovered.