An Automated External Defibrillator, some quick thinking and a lot of training helped save a 9th grade Plant High School student who collapsed in the middle of a fitness test Tuesday.
"The student was on his final lap and he just appeared to collapse and go to the ground," said P.E. Department Head, Carrie Mahon.
Mahon then called the school nurse.
"I got on my knees and started doing assessment, quick assessment," said Nurse Kayla Spilman.
Nurse Spilman was the first to administer CPR, then she used the AED.
"They're very instrumental in any type of cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest," said Spilman.
The AED was used on the boy twice, paramedics then took him to the hospital.
While the boy’s condition hasn’t been released, the American Heart Association says an AED detects specific heart problems then delivers an electric shock to allow normal rhythm in a heart suffering cardiac arrest.
Assistant Principal, Laura Figueredo says there are four AED’s on Plant’s campus.
"You never want to have to use them, but prime example of how important they are, you have to be able to get to them very quickly and thank goodness we were able to do that," said Figueredo.
Faculty and staff say it’s a team effort that saved the student’s life.
"We do a lot of training, all types of emergency plan training and as a coach we all have to create our own emergency plans and it's great to have that thought process in advance," said Mahon.