A University of Utah nurse helped save a man's life after he collapsed on a Big Cottonwood Canyon trail during a Saturday morning hike near Brighton.
Miley Feltman, a six-year nurse at the University of Utah, was hiking with her partner, John Jacobs, when a man walking ahead of her dropped to the ground, Fox 13 first reported. Feltman told a bystander to call 911 and started chest compressions immediately.
It was the first time she had ever performed CPR on a person.
The man who collapsed was visiting from Argentina. Neither he nor his wife spoke English. A bilingual woman in the hiking group translated, relaying information about the patient's medications and medical history while Feltman worked.
Two other men on the trail joined in. The three of them rotated chest compressions for 20 minutes until paramedics arrived. Feltman told Fox 13 she grew worried partway through but kept going.
"Ten or 15 minutes in, I was awfully concerned for the outcome for his well-being, but at the same time, I just knew that I had to keep going," Feltman said.
The man survived. Moments before the collapse, Feltman's group had come across other hikers pointing out a moose and her calf on the trail.
West Jordan Fire Department Deputy Chief Chris Trevino called the effort remarkable, noting that a full five-person fire crew is exhausted after 45 minutes of CPR. Public education specialist Ashleigh Colosimo said survival rates drop roughly 10% for every minute without chest compressions.
Where to get CPR certified
The West Jordan Fire Department offers American Heart Association Heartsaver classes for $30. The course provides an AHA certification card valid for two years and is available in Spanish.
Upcoming class dates at Station 53, 7602 Jordan Landing Blvd., West Jordan:
- Oct. 14, 6–10 p.m.
- Oct. 26, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Nov. 18, 6–10 p.m.
- Dec. 9, 6–10 p.m.
- Dec. 14, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Registration opens one month before each class and closes 48 hours before it starts. Contact Ashleigh Colosimo at [email protected] or (385) 602-3960.
Closer to home, Utah CPR Classes offers AHA-certified courses at 6405 S. 3000 E. in Holladay, serving Cottonwood Heights and surrounding communities.
