'Fight or flight takes over': Transportation employees save cardiac arrest victim's life
A Vermont man is lucky to be alive after collapsing from cardiac arrest in August. This week, he finally got the chance to thank the people who saved him.
Bob Fenoff, 67, was working on a wall in his office when he said he suddenly blacked out and collapsed. Fenoff's office is connected to the garage, which he leases to the Vermont transportation agency, VTRANS.
“I just lost consciousness and that was it. Ended up on the floor,” Fenoff said.
Two VTRANS employees, Noah Royer and John McClure, immediately jumped into action. They dialed 911 and began performing CPR — skills they had learned through mandatory workplace training.
“Even though it doesn’t train you for moments like that, it gives you the basics,” Royer said. “Fight or flight takes over from there.”
First responders arrived minutes later. Paramedics used a defibrillator to restart Fenoff’s heart. He spent two weeks in a coma before waking up and is now expected to make a full recovery.
“If it had not been for the brave and immediate actions of Noah Royer and John McClure, I do not think that Mr. Fenoff would be standing in front of us today,” Keith Feddersen, a paramedic with CALEX Ambulance, said.
Fenoff and his wife, Kathy, say they can’t express enough gratitude for the lifesaving efforts.
“I’d thank you a hundred times — can’t thank you enough,” Kathy said.
First responders hope Fenoff’s story will inspire others to learn CPR and AED use.
“Getting certified is vitally important,” Capt. Phil Hawthorne of the St. Johnsbury Fire Department said. “This case really proves it.”
