Heart attack victim meets man who came to his rescue

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno man who survived a heart attack was reunited with the people who helped save his life. American Ambulance hosted a luncheon so they could meet.

Mario Nhaera told 70-year-old Fred Kennedy, "I'm glad you're here. I wondered about you."

Kennedy might not be here if not for Nhaera. The only other time they met Fred had a heart attack. Mario recalled, "I started to do my CPR and brought you back. You started coughing and you went away again and brought you back."

Alice Kennedy was so happy to meet the humble hero. Her husband suffered a heart attack August 18th on Cedar Avenue near Highway 180. Fred remembered, "All I did was stop at the red light. Just got fuzzy and passed out. There was no pain."

Mario was on his way to the Regional Hand Center where he works as a surgery tech. Nhaera recalled seeing Kennedy slumped over at the wheel, "I just saw this from the passenger side and said I know that sign. Pulled my truck in front of everybody and pulled you out."

Alice said, "I'm so thankful. Thank you very much." Alice called 911 and police, Fresno city firefighters and paramedics quickly showed up at the scene.

Shaun Vincent of American Ambulance said, "I remember it was very grave. He wasn't breathing. He didn't have a heart rhythm but we were able to shock and get a heart rate back in him."

Paramedics used a mechanical device called the auto pulse to perform CPR on Kennedy.

Fred said, "I had a whole flock of angels that day. If something like that was going to happen it couldn't have happened at a better time, at a better place."

Fred said of the luncheon that brought together all of the first responders together, "It's overwhelming."

Nhaera added, "Now you go full circle from the beginning to whatever he had to go through now to here having him be here again. I'm thankful his family still has him, his wife still has him, his grandkids."

Fred wanted the world to know how important it is to learn life-saving skills. Kennedy teared up when he said, "I can't overstress the importance of learning CPR from that, excuse me but I get emotional."

Mario could do without all the attention. He just wanted to see Fred again. Kennedy said, "He bought me the time and saved my life."