Passer-By Took Action, Saved a Life

Editor's Note: This story is corrected with the two names previously reversed.

Wakefield selectmen and fire personnel took some time this week to honor an area man who helped save the life of a pedestrian who had gone into cardiac arrest. 

Appearing at the selectmen's meeting were Tom Hanson of Wakefield, Fire Chief Michael Sullivan, Tom Byrne and his wife Brenda of Reading, and the fire department personnel who were on the scene within four minutes of Byrne's reported emergency by Lake Quannapowitt. 

Back on April 7, Hanson was reportedly driving by as Byrne went into cardiac arrest during a walk around Lake Quannapowitt. By performing CPR, he was able to keep Byrne from additional heart damage until fire personnel could treat him with a defibrillator, which was credited with making "all the difference in the world." He noted that he had been particularly lucky during this type of incident, since its survival rate is under 10 percent.

"When I think back on it - I'm a lucky man," Byrne said, also noting that he now happens to be co-chair of his workplace heart walk team.