Hennepin Technical College Students Get A Lesson In Lifesaving

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A group of EMS students at Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park took a real life test last week.

They actually saved a man's life after he collapsed at the school while leaving lunch at the gourmet dining room.

Every Thursday, the culinary students at Hennepin Technical College here in Brooklyn Park open their gourmet dining room to the public.

"This was the last one of the semester and friends of mine always come in. This particular friend, who I've been a friend with for 30 years, we live close to each other, he was coming in for the final one," said culinary arts instructor David Eisenreich.

While in the kitchen, Chef Eisenreich received some terrible news.

"My assistant walked in and said, 'Your friend's gone down.' I said 'What?' He said, 'Your friend is down, he's laying flat on the ground,'" he said.

At the same time, an EMS class was just down the hall.

"One of the students came and got me and said, 'Hey, there's somebody who's having a medical problem, come check him out,'" said instructor Joe Martinez.

Martinez led his students in saving the man who was near cardiac arrest.

"I showed up, I saw everybody doing CPR and when I got there my teacher told me to take over compressions," said EMS student Ryan Larson.

"Getting the AED on him and things like that to try to correct whatever the problem may have been," said Martinez.

At that point, the AED gave off the no shock indication, so the team of students, as they had been taught, continued CPR.

"I was about 15 compressions in and the man came back and his color started to come back," Larson said.

"It was so devastating that the possibility of him not coming back was there, and so when it was over, I had to hug everybody that I came in contact with that I know had anything to do with it," said Eisenreich.

So on Monday, the chef thanked them the only way he knew how.

For Martinez, it was a real life lesson for his students, and one that makes him very proud.

"They all followed directions really well, nobody questioned anything, nobody stopped and said, 'Hey I don't feel comfortable with this,'" he said.

"It opened up my mind to know that this is what I really want to do for my career and it showed me that I'm not afraid of it and I like to help people," said Larson.

Eisenreich says he visited his friend in the hospital and he's in good condition and good spirits.