Bystander and EMT’s Provide Lifesaving CPR During Missoula Run

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - It was a cool and rainy YMCA Riverbank Run on Saturday, when a bystander assisted Missoula Rural, as well as Missoula Fire Department crews with CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) to a race participant, helping to save the man’s life.

The victim, who had been taking part in what is known as the Riverbank Trifecta, running all three races including the one mile, the 5k, and the 10k, collapsed, witnessed by several at the scene.

A bystander had already begun CPR when Taylor Blakely with Missoula Rural Fire arrived.

Several Bystanders and Taylor Blakely with MRFD Reacted Immediately

“A gentleman began having a medical emergency in front of us and as he made his way down the road collapsed, and so myself and my brother in law went over to see if we could assist and very quickly realized that the gentleman did not have a pulse and we needed to start CPR,” began Blakely.

Blakely said he realized that the victim had no pulse, and he began lifesaving efforts immediately.

Blakely said he Took Over Due to his MRFD CPR Training

“I very quickly realized that the gentleman did not have a pulse and we needed to start CPR,” he said. “I took over and due to the fact that I have training as a paramedic at Missoula Rural Fire and we trained with City Fire and Missoula emergency services quite often, I stayed on the chest and continued hands-only compression until the fire department got there and went through the standard procedure for a CPR and they were able to have a positive outcome I believe.”

Blakely said there are new tools available to assist in responding to the scene of an emergency.

There's a New App called 'Pulse Point' to help with CPR Emergencies

“There's a big push coming up in Missoula County for more CPR training,” he said. “I know that Missoula City Fire currently has CPR training, plus there's a new app that's out as well. It's called Pulse Point. Basically, any CPR that comes through the 911 dispatch center will populate in this app, and if you're around that location, it'll let you know that there's CPR in progress and anybody can go do hands-only compressions and hopefully give that person a better chance before EMS arrives on the scene.”

For anyone interested in learning CPR, the press release noted that the Missoula Fire Department does offer free classes on the first and third Wednesday evenings each month.

Click here for more details.