Trucking Company Learns Firsthand Why It's Good To Know CPR

By Kathy Walsh

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - The owners of a trucking and excavating company in Golden have a new campaign. They are urging the public to learn CPR.

Family members and coworkers at Kelley Trucking, Inc. saved their boss when he experienced sudden cardiac arrest because they knew what to do.

The company has been in business for 42 years. But June 3, 2015, could well have been John Kelley's last day. He was in a room with a crew of estimators. They were working through lunch preparing a bid.

"All of a sudden I just started feeling lightheaded and just slid back in my chair and that was the last thing I remember," said Kelley, founder of the company.

It was an emergency the others will never forget.

"We all heard John gasping for air. I think it was one of those things we couldn't believe it was happening," said estimator Dave Seehafer.

John's heart had suddenly stopped beating.

"You could tell he was, I mean, he was dying," John's son, Luke, told CBS 4 Health Specialist Kathy Walsh.

Luke said not one person panicked.

"Everybody started just falling into place depending on where they were in the room," Luke said.

Senior estimator Con Cockrum called 911. Chief estimator Mike Easley and Luke got John on the floor. Seehafer bolted for an automated external defibrillator (AED), on the way alerting John's son, Cal.

"Just yelled into my office, 'Cal, your dad's not doing so good,' " Cal Kelley said.

Cal then yelled to his mother, Dottie.

My first thought was, 'You are not going to die on me,' " said Dottie Kelley.

According to Luke, "Within 30 seconds we had an AED and six people that had CPR training within the last two months in the room."

They got the AED attached to John's chest and analyzing.

"The machine advised a shock," said Cal. "So I pushed the shock button and it lifted his body up off the ground."

Luke performed chest compressions. Dottie administered rescue breaths. Cal said John's nose and lips really started turning purple. But after another shock John was back and insisting he would not go to the hospital.

"When my mom started yelling at him that he was going to the hospital," said Luke, "then you kind of knew they were back and everybody was going to be alright."

The Kelley's credit the CPR training staff took in April from Nurse Nancy Waring who runs a company called Nurses to the Rescue.

"This is why I do what I do," said Waring. "Because sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone."

And the Kelleys credit teamwork.

"We had a village that knew exactly what to do and they performed flawlessly," said Dottie while blinking back tears.

"I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time to where they saved my life," said John.

John has since had a defibrillator implanted in his chest to shock his heart if needed.

The Kelley's will now put AEDs in all of their superintendent's trucks. They will offer CPR training to other employees and urge the community to get certified as well.

Additional Resources

Those who would like to contact Nurse Nancy Waring with Nurses to the Rescue can email her at nurses2therescue@comcast.net.