Calm in a Moment of Crisis
Calm in a Moment of Crisis
As a PG&E traffic control utility worker, Sebastian Valdez is used to keeping pedestrians and drivers safe during natural gas and electric jobs—but from a distance. He couldn’t have predicted that a recent job in San Francisco would put him in the right place to help save someone’s life through CPR.
As Valdez was setting out cones at a PG&E worksite, he noticed an elderly man walking toward him and his crew. “We weren’t working at the moment, so I let him through,” said Valdez.
Valdez kept glancing at the man as he slowly made his way along the upward slope of the sidewalk. “He was hanging out on the fence as though he was catching his breath,” said Valdez. Then, almost in slow motion, the man began to fall before collapsing on the ground.
Valdez didn’t think twice but immediately rushed to the man’s side. Although the man was staring up at Valdez, he couldn’t speak and seemed to be choking. Valdez immediately called 911 and, after confirming that there was nothing in the airway, started CPR. Then he yelled to his crew for help. By that time, he realized the man had stopped breathing and had no pulse.
Another crew member took over chest compressions while Valdez stayed on the line with 911. “We do have an AED,” he told the dispatcher. “Use it,” she said.
The PG&E crew shocked the man twice, and then paramedics arrived to take over. “They were glad we were there at that moment [that he fell],” said Valdez. “Those few minutes of giving chest compressions make a big difference.”
Valdez found out a couple of days later that the man did survive. While Valdez completes annual CPR and first-aid training, this is the first time he has had to use those skills in real life. “I’m glad PG&E does this training and that they make us do it. If it hadn’t been for the CPR training, I wouldn’t have known what to look for,” he said. “And I just want to thank the crew for helping as well. It calmed me down in an intense moment and helped keep me calm, cool, and collected.”