Off-duty Kootenai County first responder performs CPR on neighbor going into cardiac arrest

A Kootenai County couple is being recognized for their quick response that saved the life of a neighbor in need.

When most people receive an alert on their phone, they may ignore it. But for one local couple, that notification became a call to action—and gave their neighbor a second chance at life.

"My phone went off and said someone in the vicinity needs CPR," said Daniel Klassen, a Kootenai County first responder who was off-duty when he raced to the side of his neighbor, who was reportedly going into cardiac arrest.

Klassen and his wife, Jessica, went next door and worked in tandem to help the patient until first responders arrived.

"We were trying to find where the emergency was...it took a second for the wife to come down and answer the door," said Klassen.

He says the few minutes of CPR provided much-needed time when just seconds become the difference between life and death.

"That buys that brain those extra seconds and minutes before the chain of survival can come in...the professional response," said Klassen.

The total response took around 5 minutes before the patient regained a pulse and was transported to a local hospital.

"Positive outcomes in CPR aren't super common, so to be able to be a part of a positive outcome is special," Klassen said.

According to the American Heart Association, over 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital every year. And with survivability decreasing by 10 percent every minute without intervention, immediate bystander CPR can double or even triple the chance of survival for those affected.

"Strangely enough, I was actually packing up my gear for a CPR class I was going to teach the next day," Klassen said. The first responder founded a company 3 years ago called Wilderness Rescue Medicine, where he teaches CPR.

"The whole point is get practice, get training, so you are more comfortable when that need arises, because again, seconds count in this case," he said.

Following the incident, the PulsePoint Foundation recognized the Klassen couple for their quick response, highlighting a story of neighbors helping neighbors.

"I'm a part of a community, and I was able to positively impact my community. It just means a little extra since it was so close to home," Klassen said.