CPR Event At Moonlight State Beach Marks Public Health Milestone In San Diego

ENCINITAS, CA — Encinitas resident Gideon Wiseman was 48 years old when he experienced sudden cardiac arrest while watching television with his wife and young son sitting next to him on the couch. His wife immediately called 911 and began CPR.

On Wednesday, he stopped by Moonlight Beach, where multiple first responders from various San Diego area agencies trained over 200 people in hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This marked a significant milestone for the joint county and academic CPR programs.

“My heart was stopped for over half an hour. But because of the CPR she gave me, and then the paramedics from Encinitas Fire Station 1, my brain stayed alive. Without that, even if I had survived physically, I wouldn’t have had brain function,” said Wiseman. “Learn how to do CPR—fast.”

First responders from AMR San Diego, Carlsbad Fire Department, San Dieguito EMS District, Encinitas Fire Department, San Diego County Fire, Solana Beach Marine Safety and UCSD demonstrated how quick and easy it is to learn hands-only CPR at the Moonlight Beach event.

The beachside training is part of the Revive & Survive San Diego public health initiative, led by the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego, in collaboration with the county's Emergency Medical Services. The school has trained 522,364 San Diegans in hands-only CPR since its launch last year.

Wednesday's event at Moonlight Beach was part training, part celebration for reaching more than half of the initiative's goal to train 1 million San Diegans in CPR.

Cheryl A.M. Anderson, dean of the Herbert Wertheim School at UCSD and co-lead of Revive & Survive San Diego, spoke about the achievement.

"This achievement reflects the promise of public health for uniting communities, saving lives, and building a culture of preparedness," Anderson said. "Reaching the halfway point in our goal to train 1 million people demonstrates our shared commitment to prevention and emergency readiness."

Since it began in January 2024, the initiative has hosted 13,749 training sessions at schools, businesses, shopping centers, movie theaters, community spaces and parks in collaboration with more than 35 community partners.

"Every person trained is a potential lifesaver, and together, we are creating a safer, more responsive region," Anderson said. "Let's carry this momentum forward with urgency, compassion and a continued focus on training 1 million lifesavers."

The public health program is in direct response to low survival rates for those who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital. In 2021, just 8.2% of people who had a heart attack were revived and survived the event, according to a Revive & Survive statement.

Using hands-only CPR instead of the typical breaths with compressions has proven "just as effective," a statement from the initiative read. The first step is to call 911 and relay the information. Then, perform compressions hard and fast at 100 to 120 beats per minute on a bare chest.

These steps can make the difference between life and death. Every minute without CPR for someone undergoing cardiac arrest decreases their chances of survival by 7-10%.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. While not all of these are caused by cardiac arrest, that cause does lead to around 350,000 deaths annually in the country.

Dr. Kristi Koenig, the county's Emergency Medical Services medical director and co-lead of Revive & Survive, emphasized the importance of knowing how to perform CPR.

"If someone's heart stops, brain death occurs in as little as four to six minutes without CPR," said Koenig. "The first few minutes are critical -- and there's usually no doctor nearby.

"That's why it's so important for everyone possible to know CPR."

Upcoming public training events include:

• Saturday at El Camino Country Club, with the US Tennis Association and led by Oceanside Fire and Tri-City Hospital;
• Tuesday at Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Branch Library, led by San Diego Project Heart Beat and San Diego Fire Rescue.

For more information on CPR training events or to become a community partner, visit revivesurvive.ucsd.edu.