Everyone knows that no one lives forever, and when your number’s up, you have to go. But that doesn’t always happen. There are some instances when a miracle can occur, and when that happens, dying can simply be a stepping stone towards a second chance. Oh, and this isn’t a story about someone crossing into the light. This is about a chef by the name of Howard Snitzer from Goodhue, Minnesota, who was doing his thing, when suddenly, his heart gave out and he passed away, at least in clinical terms. Then, people started gathering around him, and then, something happened that totally stunned the paramedics who arrived at the scene.This is Howard Snitzer, and at the time of the incident, he was 54 and living in Goodhue, Minnesota, when he collapsed and needed help. That’s when nearly two dozen folks around him realized that his odds of surviving weren’t good, but they had to try.
It turns out that Snitzer had just gone into cardiac arrest, but fortunately, the store clerk noticed what had happened and dialed 911 while the one customer inside Don’s Foods sprang into action and began administering first aid.
Roy and Al Lodermeier were first responders, and the commotion across the street caught their attention, so they rushed over to see what was happening and noticed that Snitzer was in desperate need of help.
Meanwhile, Al’s brother Roy raced over to the town’s rescue truck and drove it over to the scene. A short time later, the neighboring towns heard of what happened and sent their first responders to the scene too.
34 minutes later, a chopper from the Mayo Clinic arrived, and the paramedics were shocked by the 20 people taking turns performing CPR. Mary Svoboda, a Mayo Clinic flight nurse who came off the chopper, saw the 20 people in line waiting to help the man.
Despite all those who came to help, Goodman knew that Snitzer wasn’t breathing and he had no pulse, so he was basically deceased. But the paramedics decided not to give up and shocked Snitzer 11 times and injected him with medication.
Even Dr. Roger White, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic, who wasn’t at the scene but was getting constant updates from Goodman started to feel discouraged. But after a final shock and an injection, Snitzer’s heart started pumping again.
Goodman was surprised to find that Snitzer was sitting in a visitor’s lounge and chatting with his brother. Snitzer even stood up to greet him and the other rescuers who came for a visit. But it was obvious that Snitzer also owed his life to the people who refused to give up on him.
