Greeting family of heart attack vic: Debra Anderson who w #WMATA offcr Joanne Dill did CPR wAED at Braddock Rd. Chris Metsala 2B ok #WTOP pic.twitter.com/gzkuUHwFMe
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) February 7, 2017
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Good Samaritans, professional preparedness and teamwork were celebrated in Alexandria, Virginia, Tuesday where a week ago the life of a heart attack victim was saved by people springing to action.
“I was compelled to get off the train and go help him,” said Deborah Anderson, of Lorton, Virginia, upon seeing Chris Metsala, 46, lying face down on the platform of the Braddock Road Metro Station.
“I knew what to do, or at least had a good idea what to do because I’d refreshed my CPR training,” Anderson said referring to a December refresher course on CPR she took to prepare for nursing school.
Within moments, Anderson was joined by Metro Transit Police Officer Leanne Dill.
“We rolled him over and we started CPR,” Anderson said.
Another bystander raced to get an automated external defibrillator from the Metro station manager’s kiosk and brought it to Anderson and Dill.
“We all hope it turns out well for [Metsala] and his family. You can see that they’re extremely grateful for everything that was done by everyone,” said Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, of action taken before professional medics arrived.
“This really does reflect the vast majority of our employees … the rail supervisor jumped right in, the station manager jumped right in, obviously the police officer and the citizen — it was a team effort,” said Wiedefeld of the lifesaving actions.
A ceremony outside the Braddock Road station to honor everyone’s actions was attended by Metsala’s family members, friends and co-workers. At about the same time, according to family, Metsala was having surgery to receive a pacemaker/defibrillator.
Part of the irony of Metsala being saved, in part, by a civilian bystander is that he and his wife Lee are members of Alexandria’s CERT Program — the Community Emergency Response Team.
“It takes a village,” said sister-in-law Stacey Hudson Padova who also, with her husband, is CERT-trained. “It takes people getting involved and getting the CPR training. I think everybody needs to do that, as well as go give blood,” she said.
Padova said Metsala received blood transfusions while being treated for the heart attack.
“Donate [blood] and give back to the community, because you never know when it might be your time,” Padova said.
Anderson and Metsala’s chance encounter might not have happened if her morning commute on Jan. 31 had gone as planned. Anderson, who said she typically takes VRE, was running late and was instead on the Blue Line train that took her to Braddock Road.
Another irony — Anderson is a Defense Department contractor working as an analyst and Metsala is a DOD employee supporting the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“We both work at the Pentagon — one hallway away,” Anderson said.
