Posted by By Jeff Derderian August 29, 2025 on Sep 5th 2025

EXCLUSIVE: 22-year-old student saves man at Guilford library

A Guilford man who took a trip to the library on Tuesday has a 22-year-old stranger to be thankful for.

What started as a routine day of studying turned into a life-saving scene for Luke Letizia.

Luke heard a crash in the library from a man who had collapsed upstairs.

“I checked for breathing for a pulse – his neck, his wrist… He had no pulse and no breathing,” Letizia said.

Letizia started doing chest compressions and CPR, and had a library employee grab a defibrillator off the wall.

Letizia passed his EMT test two years ago, but until Tuesday, he had only practiced CPR on a dummy.

“I was definitely feeling the adrenaline,” Letizia said.

“He proceeded to tell me what happened, but he was very calm and matter-of-fact. I, of course, was completely shocked,” Laurie Ann Letizia said.

Luke was studying for an exam to get into medical school at the time. Luke hopes to become a pediatric oncologist, working to save children with cancer.

Luke’s quick to say the first responders are the true heroes in this story.

As for the man in the library, News 8 was told that 73-year-old Richard is going to be okay.