"I'm not gonna let this person die on my front lawn," Capt. Kevin Barry thought as he began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The 36th Engineer Brigade Soldier was at his new home in Temple when his mover, Sedrick Evans, of Towne Services, collapsed on his front lawn July 8.
"I realized I left my phone in the garage. I saw that he was seated by my garage door and then saw him fall over," Barry said of the ordeal. "I ran over and checked for responsiveness. He wasn't responding to verbal, so I went to do a sternum rub to check for pain and he responded to pain, so I knew he was somewhat there."
Evans began convulsing and stopped breathing, so Barry dragged him to the concrete and began CPR, while also flagging down a neighbor for assistance. While the two men alternated CPR, Barry wondered if it was a heat-related injury, so he grabbed ice and cold water to help cool down Evans' extremities.
"I wasn't going to let him die," Barry said. "I started thinking back to all the training I've had."
In those moments, Barry recalled the lifeguard training and Combat Lifesaver training the Army taught him. He said he knows he did not do everything perfectly, but he is thankful he remembered enough of his training to keep Evans alive. Read more.