Teamwork Saves the Life of Coast Guard Member
Story by Capt. Bill Wade, Tampa Fire Rescue
Photo by PA3 Sondra-Kay Kneen, PADET St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- On April 16, at about 8 a.m., several Coast Guard members were participating in required physical training at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg's Prevention Department located on Davis Island in Tampa, Fla. Suddenly, one of the men, Chief Petty Officer Henry Chamberlain, collapsed and was unconscious. Two of his shipmates, Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Guagnini and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason Smithers sprang into action.
While others in the area called 911, Guagnini and Smithers recognized that Chamberlain had no pulse and was not breathing. They provided life-saving CPR to their fallen shipmate.
(From left to right) Bill Mann, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason Smithers, John James, Ronnie Tillman, Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Guagnini, Chief Petty Officer Hank Chamberlain, Michael Lesko and Danielle Potter take a moment for the camera after participating in a Coast Guard ceremony to honor the rescuers who came together and saved a life. Coast Guard photograph by PA3 Sondra-Kay Kneen, PADET St. Petersburg.
Within four minutes the crew of Davis Island Fire Station 17 was on-scene. The crew applied an automated defibrillator to try and revive the stricken man. The defibrillator delivered its shocks but Chamberlain's heart still was not yet beating. Moments later, the crew of downtown fire station Rescue 1 was at the man's side. They provided additional advanced medical care, continued with CPR and transported Chamberlain to Tampa General Hospital.
As the rescue crew arrived at the hospital, Chamberlain's heart began to beat on its own. After many weeks of specialized care at Tampa General, including a seven-way bypass heart surgery, Chamberlain left the hospital to rejoin his family and return to his Coast Guard duties.
The emergency room physician at Tampa General praised the efforts of the Coast Guard members and Tampa rescue personnel who worked quickly and professionally to save the life of Henry "Hank" Chamberlain. Chamberlain was joined by his wife Diane at a recent Coast Guard ceremony where the rescuers were recognized for saving his life.
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