SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Diana Lee was testifying in a Minneheha County courtroom when she suffered sudden cardiac arrest and thanks to local first responders she's alive today.
The chain of survival began with police officers starting C-P-R and finding the nearest automated external defibrillator.
Lee thanked all the first responders today during a ceremony at the Siouxland Health and Human Services Building. Lee says if "you are one of those people who do survive, you can't believe how fortunate you are."
According to Fire Rescue Chief Jim Sideras, the survival rate for cardiac arrest in Sioux Falls is 53%. He says that compares to a national rate of 34%.
This is National EMS week. President Geral Ford authorized the celebration in 1973 to honor first responders and the important work that they do in the nation's communities.