Runner Owes his Life to Royal Oak Nurse, Berkley Officers

It was an emotional reunion Friday for Art Garcia and the two  officers who helped save his life.

It's been just less than two weeks since the fit 53-year-old man collapsed after completing the 1 mile Berkley Days race May 8 at .

Garcia, who'd been training for a triathlon and said he enjoys kickboxing, suffered a massive heart attack that sent him crashing to the ground, unconscious.

"After the race, I crossed the finish line and I was just waiting (to register my number)," the Dearborn Heights resident said Friday. "I felt fine. I didn't feel any shortness of breath or tightness in my chest."

After he collapsed, frantic onlookers called 911, alerting BPS Officers Greg Betts and Jeff Onesko, who were in the nearby parking lot preparing to direct traffic for the 10K race. Nurse Kelley Newville of Royal Oak, who was at the track to participate as a runner, also jumped in to help.

'You just go into overdrive'

Garcia's heartbeat had stopped.

While Onesko used a portable defibrillator from his patrol car to shock Garcia's heart back to life, Betts performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and Newville administered chest compressions.

"You just go into overdrive," Onesko said. "You've done it so many times."

Betts agreed. "It's just training," said the Public Safety officer, who is prepared to handle police, fire and medical emergencies. "You have to put your emotions to the side."

"You can't panic," Onesko said.

It didn't take long after the rescue efforts restarted Garcia's heart for him to regain consciousness and try to put everyone at ease using humor, the officers said.

"I was in shock for a long time," Betts said. "I told my wife, 'I did a CPR rescue and he was talking to me and making jokes.' That doesn't happen too often."

In fact, Onesko said he's never seen anyone recover so quickly during his entire 15-year career.

Garcia, who was released from the hospital May 14 after undergoing a triple bypass surgery, was at the Berkley Public Safety Department on Friday to thank the officers in person for their heroism.

Garcia's voice trembled and he broke into tears as he hugged each of the men. "I was in the right place at the right time," he said.

Garcia apologized for being less than talkative when Betts visited him at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak later on the day of the race. 

But the officer said Garcia was all jokes.

After a nurse explained the dramatic rescue to Garcia, who had blacked out during the experience, Betts said he quipped: "That must be why my chest hurts."

The intensive care unit nurses at Beaumont "did a wonderful job," Garcia said.

He urged athletes to have their hearts tested, adding that doctors discovered multiple blockages in his heart after he was admitted. Garcia also noted that Beaumont and WXYZ-Channel 7 have partnered to offer free heart screenings in the only project of its kind in the nation.

"Parents (of young athletes) should be getting their kids checked," he said.

Now, after his surgery, a vivid red, vertical scar runs the length of his sternum.

Garcia, who had never been in the hospital before his heart attack, said his doctors have instructed him he cannot work for six weeks. On June 1, he will see his surgeon, who will determine when he can get back to running.

"Every day, I feel better," he said.

'Did you hear what happened to your dad?'

Looking on quietly during the reunion was Garcia's 23-year-old daughter, Angelica Garcia, who came up from Cleveland to help care for her father during his recovery.

When asked how she was feeling, her words were halting. "Mixed emotions. Pain. Just the thought of losing him … ," her voice trailed off.

Angelica said she learned of her father's heart attack during church via a text from her cousin. It read simply: "Did you hear what happened to your dad?" Distraught, Angelica said she and her mom rushed to be at Garcia's bedside.

"I've never seen my dad weak," she said. "He's really strong, independent. He takes care of everything himself.

"There's a lot of things going through my mind, about me, my life," said Angelica, who added she's been urging her mother to take care of herself.

She said the thought flashed through her mind about what kind of grandfather her dad would make if she ever has children. "I need him to be here," Angelica said.

Officers Betts and Onesko have been nominated for the Berkley Public Safety Department Life Saving Award and nurse Kelley Newville for the department's Citizen Award. The trio are expected to be recognized during an upcoming Berkley City Council meeting. The officers also are expected to be nominated for an Oakland County life-saving award through the Medical Control Authority.