GREENDALE, Ind. — For more than two decades, David Schwarz has been accustomed to responding when someone else needs help.
But on Aug. 31, the veteran Greendale police officer suddenly became the one who needed saving.
Just over a month later, Schwarz stood alongside the family members and first responders who helped save his life.
“I’m glad I’m here,” Schwarz said during a recognition ceremony Wednesday. “And just thanks, everybody. That’s all I’m going to say.”
It was a brief message after an ordeal that began only a few hundred yards from home.
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An ordinary night changes in seconds
Jessica Schwarz said she and her husband had planned a night out together. They had barely left home when something went wrong.
“We were about maybe 200 yards from our home, and he was driving, and he said, ‘I think you’re going to have to drive,’ and then he went completely unresponsive,” Jessica said.
With the Jeep still moving, Jessica said she managed to stop it and get her husband out of the vehicle.
David wasn't breathing and was unresponsive, she said.
Jessica, who has health care experience and CPR training, immediately went to work.
“My training took over, and my instincts,” she said. “In my mind, I wanted my husband to still be alive at the end of this event, and I did everything I could to save him.”
Jessica said she was so focused on trying to save her husband that she was unable to call 911 herself. A neighbor heard her screaming and made the call.
Police, fire and EMS crews responded and continued CPR. An AED, or automated external defibrillator, was used to deliver a shock.
For David, the experience placed him on the opposite side of an emergency response after years in law enforcement.
“I didn’t expect to be on the receiving end of CPR from all the times that I’ve done it myself for other people in the community,” he said. “It’s just a different experience when it’s happening to you from the people you worked with for 20-some years.”
According to a media advisory from Jay Shakur's Media Advisory St. Elizabeth teams with Greendale Police and Fire to Recognize Life Saving Event.docx, Greendale Police and Fire responded alongside Lawrenceburg Fire and EMS. David was transported to St. Elizabeth Edgewood, where he was treated for two blocked arteries before undergoing successful bypass surgery.
‘Every minute matters’
Michael Kasten, a cardiac surgeon at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, said the chain of events before David reached the hospital was critical.
“This is a remarkable story,” Kasten said.
He pointed to Jessica beginning CPR, the activation of emergency medical services, the quick response from first responders and early defibrillation as factors that helped David beat the odds.
“Every minute that goes by, the likelihood that someone not only will survive, but survive with an intact mind and not have a brain injury or a stroke due to lack of blood flow, every minute matters,” Kasten said.
Kasten said patients experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest generally face low survival rates. During the interview, he said roughly 90% do not reach a “good outcome,” while a quick EMS response can raise the proportion reaching a good discharge to about 25% to 30%.
For Kasten, David's case underscores why people should know what to do before first responders arrive.
“Jumping on the scene and immediately starting chest compressions when appropriate is of significant importance,” he said.
A new push for CPR training and AEDs
An AED is a portable device capable of analyzing a person's heart rhythm and, when appropriate, delivering an electrical shock during cardiac arrest.
Jessica said she hopes what happened to her family encourages others to learn CPR, even if they do not have a medical background.
“You do not have to be a medical professional to learn CPR and to know how to do good CPR in the event that you might be around when somebody has, you know, a cardiac event,” Jessica said.
Jessica also said St. Elizabeth plans to partner with others in an effort to get AEDs to first-response units throughout the county. Kasten said he understood that the police department had identified AED availability as an area of need and that cruisers and response vehicles would have AEDs available.
The St. Elizabeth advisory similarly emphasizes the importance of immediate CPR, saying the minutes before first responders arrive can be critical.
Jessica said she is also planning to get recertified in CPR with her employer, with roughly 14 people expected to go through training together.
‘Don’t take it for granted’
David is now recovering at home following his surgery.
The health emergency also came at a significant point in his career. David said the day of Wednesday's ceremony had been scheduled to be his final day going to work before using accrued time ahead of January.
Instead of finishing those last shifts as planned, his focus has shifted to recovery.
The experience, he said, has changed his perspective.
“It’s eye-opening, realizing that life is short or could be short,” David said. “So don’t take it for granted. And just a lot of appreciation for the community.”
For Jessica, the lesson is one she hopes other families learn without first having to experience what hers did: know CPR, know where an AED is and be prepared to act.
Because in a cardiac emergency, the person who needs those skills may be someone you love.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
