Florida Man Saved By Nurse During Heart Attack At Charlotte Airport

A nurse’s swift intervention saved Ken Jeffries, 57, from a potentially fatal heart attack at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Jeffries, from Florida, was waiting to board a flight to Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7 when he began showing signs of a heart attack. Claire Cerbie, a registered nurse, noticed his distress and acted immediately.

Cerbie, who has extensive experience in cardiac care, recognized Jeffries’ irregular breathing and snoring as indicators of a heart attack. “Just the way that you were snoring and breathing sounded like you were having a heart attack based on what I’ve seen before,” she later told Jeffries in a Zoom reunion organized by WBTV.

Cerbie initiated CPR and directed a bystander to fetch a defibrillator. “We put the pads on him,” she recounted. “It indicated a shockable rhythm, and it shocked him in between while we were doing compressions.” Her prompt actions revived Jeffries within 10 minutes, restoring his pulse before paramedics arrived.

Jeffries was transported to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery. Dr. William Downey, a cardiologist at the Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, credited Cerbie’s quick response for saving Jeffries’ life. “If she had not performed chest compressions and used the defibrillator, Jeffries would have died,” Downey stated.

During their reunion, Jeffries expressed his deep gratitude to Cerbie. “A ‘thank you’ is not enough, Claire. Thank you for what you did, I am so appreciative and indebted to you,” he said. Cerbie, who formerly worked at Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, responded, “I’m very glad that I was there that day to help you out. I’d obviously do it again in a heartbeat.”

American Airlines acknowledged Cerbie’s heroism by upgrading her to first class on her flight to Knoxville. Jeffries, who had not experienced any prior symptoms of a heart attack, is now recovering and thankful for the nurse’s decisive actions.

Heart attacks, or myocardial infarctions, occur when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, depriving the heart of oxygen. According to the CDC, a heart attack occurs every 40 seconds in the United States. To reduce the risk of heart attacks, the American Heart Association recommends a healthy lifestyle including a balanced diet, regular physical activity, sufficient sleep, quitting smoking, and managing stress.