Brewpub Diner Saved By Quick Thinking Server

Elsa Gernandt-Anderson was ending her shift at her family’s brewpub business in Burbank, when she witnessed a diner falling backward off his stool. Elsa quickly slid under the railing and managed to catch the man’s head before it could hit the concrete floor.

As Elsa cleared space for the man, she noticed his lips were turning blue. Her colleagues checked for a pulse and found that he didn’t have one. Although Elsa had never been trained to do CPR, she knew she had to do something, or the man was going to die.

She called out for someone to dial 911 and began doing chest compressions with all her might and continued to do so until the paramedics arrived.

Once the medics took over, Elsa made sure they had room to work and helped them get the gear they needed out of their vehicle. Breathing but unresponsive, the paramedics used a defibrillator to jump start Michael's heart before rushing him off to the hospital's emergency addmittance.

When Elsa had a chance to catch her breath, she remembered the victim had been sitting with a friend. She found the friend sitting at the same table and saw he was pale and shaken, so she went to him and offered a hug. He told her his friend's name was Michael Dodrill and he had a wife and two daughters, ages 2 and 4 years old.

Michael spent four days sedated and on a ventilator before having surgery for a pacemaker. Due to Elsa's quick lifesaving actions to keep Michael's blood flowing, Michael made a full recovery.

Elsa remained in contact with Michael and his wife Briana through his hospital stay, learning with tremendous relief that Michael survived his frightening ordeal without any complications.

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The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission.

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