HOUSTON – A Willis Independent School District bus driver jumped into action when he noticed a co-worker suddenly slump over on Dec. 8.
Willis ISD said all the drivers had come in from their morning runs around 8:45 a.m. when one of them stopped breathing and lost her pulse.
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Bus driver Tim Lake lowered her to the floor and after assessing the situation, he hooked up an Automatic External Defibrillator, shocked the patient and began CPR.
"Even though we are all trained in this department on first aid, CPR and the AED, we have never had anything like this happen before," Transportation Secretary Kim Esparza said. "Tim stepped right in, checked her vitals and knew just what to do. He was calm, direct, and quick."
The district said Lake had an advantage because he worked as a Houston firefighter for 26 years.
"I was on the ambulance for many years," Lake said. "It's what I was trained to do, so I just did it."
Willis ISD said by the time paramedics arrived, Lake was able to detect a pulse. The driver was transported to the hospital but was released before Christmas.
In a press release, Esparza said she is doing well but cannot return to work yet.
Lake was named the district's Most Valuable Player for January.