On September 9th, 2019 Service Electric Company was changing out a pole for Western Kentucky RECC in Mayfield Kentucky. The five-man crew had worked all morning to frame out the pole and make it ready to replace the old pole. It was a very hot day so the crew took an extra water break at around 10:30 am. After the break, they rigged the pole and started lifting the pole into position when Travis Simpson, a groundman from IBEW LU1925, collapsed and fell face-first to the ground.
Foreman Jacob Jones and apprentice Ben Geurin were the first to reach Travis. It looked like he was having a seizure, so they rolled him on his side and made sure they kept his airway open when he stopped breathing. Foreman Jacob Jones told Tyler McPeak to call 911. He located the tailboard meeting sheet with the exact location for the ambulance and went to the road to help guide the ambulance upon arrival. Ben Geurin ran to the Foreman truck to get the AED as Jay Jewell and Kynan Monroe started CPR. Kynan got Travis ready to use the AED, cleared everyone, and applied the shock. Jay and Kynan gave three more sets of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth. Then Travis gasped for air and started breathing on his own, but he could not talk and started to have another seizure, so Kynan and Ben rolled him on his side to keep his airway open while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.
The way these brothers reacted was amazing. While Kynan and Jay were working on Travis and performing CPR, Foreman Jones and apprentice Geurin were moving all the line trucks out of the way so the ambulance would have a clear path to Travis. When help arrived, Foreman Jones rode in the ambulance to the hospital with Travis.
Service Electric Company’s commitment to providing each crew with the AED allowed these five men to help save this brother’s life.
When Travis Simpson was admitted to the hospital, the ER doctor thought he had just gotten overheated. However, the heart specialist quickly discovered through a myriad of tests that there was a serious problem. Travis had a fibrillation problem with his heart, and he had to have a pacemaker put in.
The whole crew went to the hospital that evening after work and were told by the doctors that their actions saved this young man’s life.
Almost three years later, on July 25th, 2022, this crew received recognition for their life-saving efforts by the IBEW. Their quick response and smart decisions in the midst of a serious medical emergency should serve as an example to us all!
