Student collapses in gym with no pulse, not breathing
A 16-year old Flomaton High School student is alive today because of a teacher, school nurses, Flomaton fireman and an Automated External Defibrillator.
“He would not be alive today if we didn't have an AED,” said both Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton and Fire Captain Jeremy Lee.
Deverick Williams collapsed in the old gymnasium at Flomaton High School while playing basketball about 2:30 p.m. Monday. Records show that teacher-coach Leroy Steele dialed 911 at 3:32 p.m. Two school nurses began giving chest compressions. At 2:38 p.m. Stanton and Lee entered the gym with an AED and said Williams had no pulse and was not breathing.
Lee said by technical terms, Williams was dead.
Stanton and Lee attached the AED to Williams and at 2:39 they received a shock advice as the nurses continued to provide the student air. The firemen received a second shock advice 2:42 p.m.
Lee and Stanton said the AED failed after the second shock due to the battery but at 2:45 p.m. a faint pulse was detected. EMS arrived at 2:49 p.m. and Baptist Hospital's LifeFlight helicopter landed on the Flomaton football field at 3:14 p.m. At 3:38 p.m. Williams was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola and Wednesday morning he was transported to a hospital in Gainesville to have a pacemaker installed.
“Our AED is what saved that kid,” Lee said. “I'm glad that kid's alive. That's what we do. God puts people in the right places at the right time.”
Lee and Stanton said it was a team effort from everyone involved to save Williams' life.
“When we arrived he was not breathing and had no pulse,” Stanton said. “If we didn't have the AED, he'd be dead. That's the only thing that saved his life.”
Stanton said the fire department has been looking at trying to purchase some more AEDs, which cost about $2,500 each.
Stanton said AEDs are almost 'idiot' proof for people who are trained to use them. Once hooked up if a heartbeat is detected it will advise doing nothing. If a heartbeat is not detected, it will advise shocking.
