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<\/a>Counte Cooley survives heart attack thanks to strangers<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t have a pulse and I wasn\u2019t breathing. But I was by the time they got through with me,\u201d Counte Cooley said of surviving a recent cardiac arrest.<\/p>\n
Just four days before, Cooley, owner of Electronic Sales Co. in Gainesville, had returned from Fullerton, Calif. He had won first in his division in the National Racquetball Championship.<\/p>\n
After his victory, the 69-year-old got back into the swing of routine and went to play with his regular league Monday night at LA Fitness in Buford. After telling the other players about his experience at the championship, Cooley and another player decided to play a game.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019d beat me a couple of times before, a few weeks ago, so I was really focused on the game,\u201d Cooley said. \u201cI beat him. Then I came out and we were high-fiving and bantering back and forth about the game. I went up to the front desk … halfway there I hit the ground. I have no recollection. I went from walking to nothing to people bouncing on my chest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cooley said his cardiologist at Northeast Georgia Medical Center later told him it was likely he suffered cardiac arrest because of ventricular tachycardia, a rapid heart rate.<\/p>\n
According to the American Heart Association<\/a>, nearly 360,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests<\/a> occur in the United States and fewer than 8 percent of people survive. Fortunately, effective CPR<\/a> can double or triple the odds of survival.<\/p>\n Cooley experienced the fortunate fate of having a heart attack in a place where three people knew and performed CPR. They increased his odds of survival, ultimately saving his life.<\/p>\n Cooley has a very hazy memory of the event, but has pieced together the steps people took to save his life.<\/p>\n The Gainesville man lost consciousness and fell into a column, leaving a 2\u00ab-inch gash in the back of his head. Two personal trainers and a bystander at the gym who are CPR certified immediately ran to Cooley\u2019s aid.<\/p>\n Marvin Elam, a personal trainer at LA Fitness, said he was working with a client about 50 feet away from where Cooley collapsed.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard a commotion,\u201d Elam said. \u201cI looked over and saw a lot of people gather around. People do faint at times at the gym. It\u2019s something you see occasionally and you don\u2019t get to alarmed when someone faints. But I wanted to make sure someone from LA Fitness was there to assist. So I excused myself and started walking over. Then I heard someone scream \u2018Help, Help.\u2019 So I knew it was probably more serious than that.\u201d<\/p>\n Elam said he could see Cooley wasn\u2019t breathing.<\/p>\n Melissa Hazen, another personal trainer at the gym, ran to retrieve the gym\u2019s automated external defibrillator. Tracey Tuggle , a gym patron who could not be reached for comment, checked for a pulse and didn\u2019t find one.<\/p>\n