SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Three employees at a Scottsdale Costco store helped save the life of a pharmacy customer last month.
Barry Baker was waiting near the pharmacy of the store, near Hayden Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, when he suffered a medical emergency and lost consciousness.
Two pharmacists, Todd Gookin and Gary Bachmeier, jumped in to help, calling 911 and starting CPR.
One of the store managers, Mike Weston, got the store’s automated external defibrillator (AED) and used the machine on Baker, who was then taken to the hospital for further treatment.
Scottsdale Fire credits the rapid response with saving Baker’s life.
Baker was found to have arteries that were 60% blocked, and he spent more than a week in the hospital.
On Wednesday, the Scottsdale Fire Department honored the three employees who took action.
If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. So am I thankful? You bet,” Baker said.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States.
Without CPR, about 90% of those victims do not survive. When high-quality CPR starts immediately, a person’s chance of survival can double or even triple.”
