Gordon Friedman

Statesman Journal

Two quick-thinking managers of a local Target store saved a customer's life Saturday evening.

Around 6:35 p.m., at the Target store in the Keizer Station Shopping Center, a 72-year-old female shopper riding a motorized scooter collapsed in cardiac arrest. Managers saw the female shopper collapse and called 911.

Store managers Brad Dickerson, 37, and Austin Snelling, 24, found the woman face down and without a pulse. Snelling initiated CPR. In a phone interview, Dickerson said he retrieved an automatic heart defibrillator and applied it to the victim's chest. After a shock from the defibrillator, Dickerson continued CPR.

"All that was going through my head was, 'Hopefully I'm doing this right,'" Dickerson said.

The woman's color improved, and she began gasping air. Dickerson said it was as if she came back to life.

To maintain the victim's dignity, Dickerson asked other employees to provide the victim with blankets and pillows. Paramedics soon arrived.

The victim was able to remain conscious and spoke with emergency responders. She was taken to Salem Hospital, where she remains for treatment and observation, Keizer Fire Chief Jeff Cowan said.

Cowan said the ordeal went as smoothly as possible, and only lasted six minutes. He said the event is a testament to public availability of defibrillators and the training of Target employees. "It was awesome," Cowan said.

Dickerson, who has used his CPR training once before, said he's glad everything turned out alright. "My team did a great job helping me," he said.

gfriedman2@statesmanjournal.com, (503) 399-6653, on Twitter@gordonrfriedman orFacebook.com/gordonrfriedman

CPR Training with Red Cross | American Red Cross