The Pine River Times
Montezuma-Cortez High School graduate Tyrun Harris was among Los Pinos Fire Protection District staffers and Sky Ute Casino employees who were honored in June after caring for a casino patron had a heart attack.According to Barbara Lawson, a volunteer with Heart Safe La Plata, casino staffers “were the first responders” when the patron went into cardiac arrest at the casino on March 24. EMTs and paramedics from the Los Pinos Fire Protection District arrived later, took over treatment and transported the patient to an emergency room.Heart Safe La Plata honored the Sky Ute and Los Pinos groups the groups at the casino on June 10 with certificates thanking them for their work. The casino employees had been trained in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and the casino also has nine automated external defibrillators on the property.The employees did everything correctly when the person went into cardiac arrest, said Lawson. Heart Safe La Plata places AEDs around the area and trains people in their proper use, as well as in CPR.Casino employees Lynette Whitethrone-Caldron, George Doscher, and Joe Caldron and Leora Lucero called 911, then started CPR and used the defibrillator to restart the patient’s heart.Los Pinos staffers Harris, Dominik Marquez, Tony Stephens and Norm Niesen then took over treatment.Harris is a 2013 graduate from Montezuna Cortez High School, where he participated in the fire science/EMT program taught by Lori Mott. He obtained his associate’s degree in fire science from San Juan College in Farmington and was hired by Los Pinos Fire in Ignacio in 2014. He is the son of Kent and Amy Harris of Lewis.
