Cardiac Arrest at the Wheel: Father Saved By His Kids Who Were Honored for Bravery and Quick Thinking

A father was driving his kids back home from their football practice when he experienced a cardiac arrest at the wheel just minutes from their house. His children, however, acted quickly to save his life and they have been the reason he's still able to celebrate their honor for bravery from the local emergency services.

Stuart Waters, 48, recalls that he was already pulling over by their house's garage when he felt unwell. The dad collapsed on the car as his kids, Sadie, 10 years old, and Jude, 7 years old, have yet to get out.

According to the New York Post, Stuart became unresponsive but his children thought quickly and got some help. One of the kids unfastened the dad's seatbelt while the other child banged on the door to alert their mother, Leanne Waters, to call for an ambulance.

Sadie and Jude were not sure what was happening to their father. The 10-year-old told the New York Post that she was actually confused and scared. After their mother got dressed because she was having a bath, two more ladies from their neighborhood came to help. They placed Waters on the ground and started doing CPR.

Read Also: Family of 4-Year-Old Sudden Cardiac Arrest Victim Raising Awareness on CPR and AED Training

It's Happening Again

Sadie told Kent Online that a few minutes before the incident she heard her father saying, "it's happening again," perhaps referring to his cardiac arrest at the wheel. She looked at Jude who was also confused but he decided he will stay in the car while Sadie called out to their mom or bring her to the garage.

At first, their mother thought that the kids were playing a prank but she soon realized that Sadie and Jude were not making jokes. After Leanne called for emergency responders, she also asked for help from neighbors Emma and Gemma, who did the initial CPR.

The emergency team then arrived and tried to revive Stuart but he wasn't responding as they expected. He was dead for 18 minutes on the ride to the hospital.

Leanne said that when they got there, the doctors were still not sure of Stuart's fate after his cardiac arrest at the wheel. His scans later showed that he was going to be OK though he might have some memory lapses from time to time. Contrary to what he said, this was his first cardiac arrest.

Stuart also underwent two operations, including the installation of a mini-defibrillator on his chest. He was cleared for release at the hospital after eight weeks.

The father said that he doesn't recall much of what happened but he knows that he is alive because of Sadie and Jude. The medical emergency wasn't something he wanted his kids to see but it was his proudest moment at the same time because Sadie and Jude thought quickly and kept brave for their dad.

"At the end of the day, they helped save my life so I owe them big time," Stuart said.

Sadie and Jude Were Presented With Gifts

The local police came to the children's school at the end of May to give Sadie and Jude a Schools Team Certificate of Resilience along with bags full of sweets and treats. Sergeant Joe Breen said that Stuart would have a different outcome if not for the kids who acted quickly under such distressing circumstances, per Yahoo! Life.

Sadie and Jude, however, also thanked their neighbors who did the CPR before the emergency responders arrived. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CPR will greatly improve the odds of the patient's survival. About 350,000 cardiac arrests take place outside of a hospital setting and 70 percent of these happen in the house.

CPR can be learned by anyone. In emergency cases, a person without CPR training may still be able to do it by calling 911 for guidance.

Related Article: CPR Awareness: Mom Saves Husband's Life With 7-Minute Chest Compressions After Cardiac Arrest