On April 26, Bob Lawrence — a former Peninsula College faculty member and “Noon Hoops” regular — collapsed on the basketball court in the gym from cardiac arrest during an event. Fortunately, his quick-thinking teammates sprang into action.

With help from PENCOM, Allison Mahaney and Mike Aldrich performed CPR while Randy Stone and Matt Rosener applied the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device, which administered a shock prior to the arrival of the Port Angeles Fire Department.

By the time paramedics arrived, Lawrence was awake and talking. He was then transported to Olympic Medical Center for care.

Lawrence recovered in a Tacoma hospital, where he received a defibrillator implant.

“My buddies saved my life and should be honored,” he said. “I am so grateful for them every day!”

AEDs have been successfully used twice on the college’s Port Angeles campus, college representatives said. The Port Angeles Fire Department helped facilitate acquisition of the first device in 2007, donated by the Port Angeles Rotary Club.

There are 13 AED devices on the college’s Port Angeles campus, college representatives said.

About 1,700 lives are saved in the U.S. each year by bystanders using an AED, according to the National Institute of Health. With early bystander CPR and a defibrillation shock provided within less than three minutes after collapse, the AED survival rate can be as high as 74 percent for patients with ventricular fibrillation.