Panama - What began as a sports afternoon and social gathering nearly turned into a tragedy after Mr. Carlos Barrios, a football player for Liga 70, suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest and collapsed unconscious on the pitch of Plaza Amador (El Chorrillo) during a practice. The emergency occurred while the personnel of Extinction, Search and Rescue of the Honorable Fire Corps of the Republic of Panama, assigned to the Juan Antonio Guizado Station—located in front of the field— was on duty. Players, paralyzed by panic, desperately ran to the station asking for help, the entity detailed. Lieutenant Joel Titts and Sergeant First Class Bernardo Jake ran onto the field, as every second was decisive between life and death. There they found Barrios, immobile, without a pulse and without breathing. With determination, they immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) maneuvers, compressing the chest and ventilating the patient in a race against time. A few minutes later, thanks to the perseverance and technique of the firefighters, the patient regained vital signs, drawing sighs and tears from those present. For Titts, who has 21 years of service, it is not the first time he has saved a life: years ago he prevented a minor from dying under similar circumstances. 'Not giving up was key,' confessed the lieutenant, who together with the first-class sergeant, who has 17 years of service in the institution, prevented a certain death in the middle of a playing field.
