Survivor: Al Hart
Date of Event:
Location of Event: Pleasanton, California
Rescuer(s):Bill and Juliana Schirmer
They could have passed by, but they decided to help. Their decision made the difference between life and death. Because of their heroic actions, Juliana and Bill Schirmer have been named winners of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation’s “People Saving People Award” for saving the life of Al Hart.
It was June 15, 2019. Bill and Juliana Schirmer were supposed to go to Yosemite, but at the last minute, they decided to stay local. As they drove by the scene where Al lay unresponsive on the ground, they could have kept going, but instead, they chose to turn around to help. Their actions were the first in a chain of events that saved Al’s life.
Al's story is quite amazing. Al is a competitive triathlete and was out on a usual training day. He had completed a 1 mile swim, 50 mile bike ride, and was finishing up with a 20 minute run. There had been no warning signs. Al was only about 2 minutes from finishing when he suddenly collapsed.
A friend found him and flagged down a passing car. Inside that car were Bill and Juliana, who are CPR and AED certified. Bill immediately began CPR compressions, and Juliana made the critical 911 call, activating PulsePoint (a smartphone app that alerts CPR and AED trained residents when there is a cardiac arrest victim nearby, enabling them to jump into action to provide life-saving assistance to victims of sudden cardiac arrest.)
Nearby lifeguards received the alert and immediately responded. They were able to deliver a shock to Al, and to provide additional CPR, while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Al’s miraculous recovery was only possible because of Bill and Juliana’s decision to act. They were the first link in Al’s Chain of Survival. Juliana and Bill deserve to be honored and recognized for their selfless actions. Without them, Al would not be alive today.
Nominated by Al Hart