PLAINFIELD, Ind. – A Speedway woman reunited Thursday with the emergency crew who saved her life.
Debbie Dowell said she went into cardiac arrest after leaving dinner with her family near Reeves and Perry roads in Plainfield. Her husband called 911 and police officer Javier Casas began CPR before medics arrived.
“I looked at the stoplight and I looked at the clock and I don't remember anything else,” said Dowell.
An off-duty nurse and EMT also pulled over to help Dowell.
“If it wasn't for dispatch, wasn't for Plainfield fire, nurses on scene, nurses at the hospital, the outcome of this wouldn't have been what it was,” said Casas.
Dowell credits the quick-acting officer with saving her life.
“He was very brave to do that because you never know what's going to happen when you pull over a car. He kept my husband calm so he didn’t panic and I’m very proud of both of them,” said Dowell.
According to the American Heart Association, immediate CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival when going into cardiac arrest.
Casas said it was the third time he was called to perform CPR, but it was the first time a person survived.
