‘Just the way that you were snoring and breathing sounded like you were having a heart attack based on what I’ve seen before’

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

Jeffries, 57, was on the same Knoxville, Tennessee-bound flight as Cerbie, and she said he was displaying two classic signs of a possible heart attack

Cerbie and a group of good Samaritans performed chest compressions while someone else fetched a defibrillator

She performed ‘CPR on Jeffries for 10 minutes before he miraculously regained a pulse’ 

Dr. William Downey performed surgery on Jeffries revealed that but for Cerbie’s intervention Jeffries would have died.

Jeffries, [right], and his saving angel Cerbie, [left], reconnected in a Zoom call with WBTV. She recounted the situation and explained how it unfolded. The two get emotional over the weight of what happened as Jeffries, thanked Cerbie over the Zoom call

A female passenger at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, North Carolina, saved a fellow traveler’s life after her quick thinking and medical know-how led her to believe the man was having a heart attack. 
Claire Cerbie was waiting at the gate for her flight at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport on the morning of June 7, when she took notice of struggling Ken Jeffries.
Jeffries, 57, was on the same Knoxville, Tennessee-bound flight as Cerbie, and she said he was displaying two classic signs of a possible heart attack.
‘Just the way that you were snoring and breathing sounded like you were having a heart attack based on what I’ve seen before,’ Cerbie said to Jeffries on a Zoom call reunion organized by WBTV.

Ken Jeffries, [photo], suffered a heart attack at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on the morning of June 7 while waiting for a flight to Knoxville, Tennessee. He was saved by the timely intervention of a good Samaritan 

The University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center, in a research paper states that a fact that cannot be emphasized enough is that more than half the patients who go into cardiac arrest gasp, snore, or have labored breathing.
‘Bystanders often misinterpret gasping and other unusual vocal sounds as breathing and do not call 911 or begin lifesaving chest compressions quickly enough,’ the paper warns.
This was not the case for Cerbie. An experienced registered vascular nurse, she recognized the telltale symptoms the moment she observed Jeffries’ labored breathing and snoring. Leaping into action immediately, she enlisted the help of nearby flyers.

Claire Cerbie, [right], a registered nurse experienced in Heart & Vascular issues, was waiting at the same gate as Jeffries. Recognizing his snoring and labored heavy breathing as symptoms of an impending heart attack. She immediately began CPR that saved his life

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 indicated a shockable rhythm, and it shocked him in between while we were doing compressions.” 
They did CPR on Jeffries for 10 minutes before he miraculously regained a pulse. 
“He had his own rhythm. He was breathing on his own and we kind of just stayed by him until the paramedics arrived,” the nurse said.

‘The right person in the right place’: Claire Cerbie [right], used to work at Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte, NC. She performed ‘CPR on Jeffries for 10 minutes before he miraculously regained a pulse’ 

After the fact, Jeffries expressed his gratitude to Cerbie for saving him, nearly breaking down on the Zoom call with her trying to thank her for what she did.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry, guys,” he said as he collected himself. 
“Thank you’ is not enough, Claire. Thank you for what you did,” he told the nurse. “I am so appreciative and indebted to you.”
Cerbie, formerly of the Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte, got emotional hearing Jeffries’ impassioned thank you.
Responding Cerbie said she was glad she was able to help during the emergency situation: “I’m very glad that I was there that day to help you out. I’d obviously do it again in a heartbeat,” she said.
“I’m so happy to see that you’re doing so well.”

Jeffries, seen [photo], in his hospital bed, was rushed to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center where he underwent surgery. His doctor said Cerbie almost certainly prevented his death thanks to her acting quickly

EMTs rushed Jeffries to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center where cardiologist William Downey performed surgery on him.
Dr Downey believes that if Cerbie and her fellow passengers hadn’t jumped in to perform timely CPR, Jeffries would have died.
Although Jeffries didn’t notice any symptoms commonly associated with heart attacks in the lead up to his airport terminal medical emergency, Dr Downey notes that heart attacks can be prevented by quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
Rewarding her act of heroism, Cerbie was upgraded to first class by American Airlines.