Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Five men were honored for saving Cameron Willford after a heart attack.
- They performed CPR and called 911 during a church basketball game in Washington.
- Mayor Kress Staheli declared February as Healthy Heart Awareness Month in recognition.
WASHINGTON, Washington County – Five men are being honored for their quick action in saving a man who suffered a heart attack while playing church basketball. Cameron Willford was about five minutes into the game being played at at church stake center on Jan. 16, when he suddenly fell face-first onto the court.
"The local resident father of four suffered a sudden cardiac arrest known as the widow-maker," said Mayor Kress Staheli at a Washington City Council meeting on Tuesday.
Five men who were involved in the game rushed to Willford's side.
"They began by calling 911 and administering a priesthood blessing; they then performed CPR delivering chest compressions and rescue breaths without pause," Staheli said. "The group refused to give up until paramedics arrived."
"They talk about how confused and desperate everyone felt, and then it was like instantly. While the blessing was starting David was like, 'I'm going to start compressions,' and everything went smoother after that," Willford said.
Willford said the first thing he remembers after the heart attack is waking up in the hospital after surgery where a stent was used to open a valve to his heart. He spent two days in the hospital but was then released to go home. During Tuesday's City Council meeting, Willford came face to face with the men and first responders who saved his life that day.
"I want to say thank you for your courage because I don't know if I would have had the courage to do that," he said during the meeting. "From the bottom of my heart, which is beating today because of you, I thank you."
During the meeting, Staheli issued a proclamation stating February as Healthy Heart Awareness Month. For heart-healthy tips to help reduce the risk of heart disease and its risk factors visit nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/take-action-your-heart-get-started-fact-sheet.
