BRADENTON, Fla. - Shoppers at the Walmart on Cortez Road West in Bradenton helped save an elderly man on Monday after he collapsed in the freezer aisle and hit his head. Witnesses say the man wasn’t breathing when they reached him.
Two customers, Jennifer Pohlman and Robb Olsen, immediately jumped in. Pohlman called 911 and stayed with the man’s frantic wife, while Olsen, a former volunteer EMT, performed CPR until employees brought over an AED.
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Paramedics took the man to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, where he remains in intensive care. According to the family, doctors told them the quick CPR response likely made the difference.
The backstory:
Pohlman had only stopped into the store for work-related errands when she saw the man collapse in the freezer section. She says the shock of returning to the scene the next day was emotional, especially hearing an ambulance in the distance.
A few aisles away, Olsen and his wife were getting ready to check out when they heard a loud thud and a woman screaming for help. Olsen, who previously volunteered as an EMT in New Jersey, says instinct took over as he began CPR.
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Pohlman noticed other shoppers frozen, unsure of what to do — a moment that reinforced her belief that basic emergency training is essential. She called 911.
"So, I kind of think like if that was my dad, I would hope that someone would have the same response," she said.
With no one familiar with the AED, Olsen relied on the device’s voice instructions to guide the process until paramedics arrived.
Why you should care:
Bystander CPR can dramatically increase a person’s chance of survival during cardiac arrest. Doctors told the family that without the immediate CPR given inside the store, the man may not have survived.
Olsen said, "...get the training. It's available everywhere, and everyone should know how to use the AED."
The Source: This story is based on interviews conducted by FOX 13’s Jennifer Kveglis with the two good Samaritans who stepped in to help.