On Thursday, Jan. 4, an adult male was experiencing cardiac arrest at Forest Acres Grocery in Meadow Road. He had collapsed in the store and was unresponsive. LREMC personnel Timmy Mendoza, Jason Lowery, Donnie Hammonds, Cranston Lowery, and Earl Woods were entering the store for their lunch break. They immediately jumped into action, starting CPR and securing an automatic external defibrillator (AED) from one of their vehicles.

“You really don’t know what you’ll do when faced with a situation like that,” said Mendoza, the team leader and general foreman. “My guys stayed calm and did what we had been trained to do.” When Lumberton Rescue and EMS personnel arrived, the men had applied the AED correctly and administered chest compressions. The LREMC personnel continued to assist the EMS personnel until the patient was transferred to the ambulance and transported to UNC Southeastern. The male had a return of spontaneous circulation when he arrived at the hospital.

The quick action made a difference in how this event could have turned out. Robert Ivey, commander of Lumberton Rescue and EMS, sent a letter to express his gratitude officially: “Oftentimes people do not wish to be involved or render aid for whatever reason. These men saw the situation and took appropriate action, possibly saving this person’s life,” he shared.

“They were definitely the right people at the right time. LREMC should be proud to have employees like these on their staff.”

Lumbee River EMC promotes a culture of safety and provides CPR and AED certification for all its employees every two years. “It is training we hope employees will never have to use, but if a situation arises, our team will be ready,” said Director of Corporate Safety Mark Walters. “We are proud of our guys for not hesitating to step in and choosing to help a neighbor in need.”