Passenger saves man’s life while waiting at airport terminal after spotting two worrying symptoms

A woman at a North Carolina airport saved a man’s life after her quick actions and medical expertise led her to believe he was having a heart attack.

Claire Cerbie, a registered nurse, was waiting at the gate for her flight at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on the morning of June 7 when she noticed Ken Jeffries struggling.

Jeffries, 57, was on the same flight to Knoxville, Tennessee as Cerbie, and she said he exhibited two classic symptoms of a possible heart attack, WBTV reported.

“Just the way you were snoring and breathing, it sounded like you were having a heart attack, based on what I’ve seen before,” Cerbie told Jeffries during a Zoom reunion.

According to the U.S. government, more than half of patients who suffer cardiac arrest gasp, snore or struggle for breath. Sarver Heart Center of the University of Arizona.

Claire Cerbie, a registered nurse, was waiting at the same gate as Jeffries. She immediately recognized his snoring and labored breathing as symptoms of an impending heart attack. She jumped in to save him

“Bystanders often misinterpret gasping and other unusual vocal sounds as breathing and do not call 911 or begin lifesaving chest compressions quickly enough,” the center said.

For Cerbie, that wasn’t a problem. She knew exactly what she was going through when she saw Jeffries snoring.

She immediately took action and called for help from nearby pilots.

Cerbie and a group of Good Samaritans performed chest compressions, while someone else fetched a defibrillator.

“We put the pads on him,” she said. “It gave him a shockable rhythm, and it jolted him in between while we were doing compressions.”

They resuscitated Jeffries for 10 minutes before he miraculously regained a heartbeat.

“He had his own rhythm. He was breathing on his own and we just stayed with him until the ambulance arrived,” the nurse said.

Jeffries, left, thanks Cerbie during a Zoom call hosted by WBTV. The two get emotional about the weight of what happened

Cerbie previously worked at Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte

Afterward, Jeffries expressed his gratitude to Cerbie for saving him. He nearly burst into tears during the Zoom call when she tried to thank her for what she had done.

“Excuse me, guys, I’m sorry,” he said, collecting himself.

“A ‘thank you’ is not enough, Claire. Thank you for what you have done. I am so grateful and thankful to you.”

Cerbie, who used to work at Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte, appeared to become emotional when he heard Jeffries’ passionate thank you.

“I’m so glad I was there that day to help you. I would do it again in a heartbeat,” she said.

“I’m so happy to see you’re doing so well.”

Jeffries in his hospital bed after the heart attack he suffered at the airport. His doctor said Cerbie almost certainly prevented his death thanks to her quick actions

On the day of his heart attack, Jeffries was rushed to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, where cardiologist Dr. William Downey performed surgery on him.

Downey said Jeffries would have died if Cerbie and her fellow passengers had not immediately administered CPR.

Jeffries had not experienced any of the symptoms typically associated with a heart attack prior to his medical emergency.

According to Downey, heart attacks can be prevented by quitting smoking, exercising regularly and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control.

As a perk for her heroic act, Cerbie was upgraded to first class by American Airlines, WBTV reported.