PLANT CITY, Fla. — A Pasco County firefighter paramedic was honored for his quick thinking that saved lives in two separate health scares at his local gym within a week of each other.
Pasco County Firefighter Paramedic Patrick Dudkiewicz was able to receive recognition and thanks for saving two gym-goers for the first time who suffered cardiac arrest while working out.
"Just fortunate I was here that day," the firefighter said Wednesday.
Both medical episodes happened at CrossFit Plant City, where Dudkiewicz was off-duty and working out. He originally didn't want to go to the gym on the day of the first incident, but his wife ultimately told him to.
"She was like, 'Oh, you should go,'" he explained. "So I showed up and both incidents happened after the workout – my heart rate is at 170 already as it is and...I come in and do what I was trained to do."
On May 25, the firefighter was at the gym when he suddenly jumped to help a fellow gym-goer who suffered cardiac arrest. He was able to perform CPR and apply an automated external defibrillator before Plant City Fire Rescue got on the scene.
Just a week later, Dudkiewicz found himself once again in a similar situation. While at the gym on June 1, the firefighter paramedic performed CPR on a person suffering cardiac arrest.
He was able to successfully help the gym-goer until EMS arrived.
During the surprise event Wednesday, the two gym-goers were able to thank Dudkiewicz for saving their lives.
"Thank you for saving my life," one of the gym-goers, Richard, said while hugging the firefighter. "God sent me a guardian angel and that guardian angel saved my life."
Dudkiewicz said he was grateful to see the two again again not on a stretcher.
"I am thankful for these people that chose the profession that they chose and for being there when I needed them," said the other gym-goer, Patty.
Plant City Fire Rescue Interim Fire Chief Tim Mossgrove was also able to present Dudkiewicz with a challenge coin which is given to people who do "remarkable things out there in the field."
