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Brunswick first responders save man’s life, get unexpected 'thank you'

Brunswick firefighters and paramedics dragged Anderson out of the passenger seat of the car and started giving him CPR on the side of the road.

BRUNSWICK (NEWS CENTER Maine) – Neal Anderson had no pulse. Clinically, he was dead.

His wife, June, tried giving him CPR.

“I gave him a couple of breaths,” June said. “Sure enough, the EMTs were right behind me.”

Brunswick firefighters and paramedics dragged Anderson out of the passenger seat of the car and started giving him CPR on the side of the road. No pulse.

“I felt like I was dreaming this or I was reading a book,” said June. “This wasn’t me. This wasn’t Neal. This wasn’t my husband.”

"There was no pulse. In our mind he was dead. Nothing much more than dead," said Dale Real, one of the first firefighters on scene.

The men of C shift got Anderson into the ambulance, where they shocked him with a defibrillator. A pulse. They rushed him to Mid Coast Hospital.

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The firefighters/EMTs at Brunswick FD are getting called out constantly today. Tonight — the story of how they brought one man back to life, and what he did to thank them. #maine #firefighters #firefighter #emt #emtlife #firstresponders #newscentermaine

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“It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever been through,” said June.

From Mid Coast, the crew took Anderson to Maine Medical Center, where the emergency department could handle the severity of Anderson’s needs, including a cardiac catheterization.

“The emergency room doctor looked at me and said, ‘he may not make it to Maine Medical,” said June. “That was really, really scary.”

Thanks to the medicine from Mid Coast Hospital to break up the clot, and the first responders for keeping him alive until her arrived in Portland, and the team at Maine Medical Center for a successful procedure, Anderson survived.

"It was a life-changing night," said June.

“That’s a first for me in my career. I’ve never had a heart rate at and a pulse come back after a cardiac arrest,” said firefighter/paramedic Mike Dube, who was one of the first on scene. “It was a good feeling. We did what we were trained to do.”

"I don't think I've ever had a code save where they've actually walked out and called. They may have left the hospital, but you never know. It was a little surreal," said Real.

Anderson is back at his Brunswick home now recovering.

“I was overwhelmed with gratitude because they saved my life,” said Anderson, who helped train Wiscasset EMTs for these types of calls. “It was kind of automatic to want to thank these guys that had saved my life. I just wanted to say thank you with all my heart.”

Anderson was once chief of the emergency department at Bath Memorial Hospital. He knows what it means to be “coding:” no pulse, clinically, at least, dead.

"I've done CPR. I've watched people die in front of me," said Anderson.

“The angels were looking out for him,” said firefighter/EMT Alan Boucher.

Anderson knows what it means to be alive today.

Anderson left the firefighters a voicemail, thanking them for saving his life.

“It just makes me realize that you have to enjoy what you have while you’re here,” said Anderson.

This story will be updated.

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