Texas Good Samaritan Advocates CPR
Aug. 26--YOAKUM -- Tony Maldonado is something of a local hero after aiding a man who collapsed at the Solid Waste Management facility.
But he quickly turns the focus away from him and instead to promoting CPR education.
"CPR is life or death," he said. "CPR is good to learn because you never know. It can be someone in your family. You can go out to a store, and it happens when you're there. Don't hesitate. Just do it."
Maldonado, a 17-year employee with the city of Yoakum's Transfer Station, took his own advice Aug. 17 when he heard someone scream for help.
"Everything left my mind, and my heart just said 'go,'" said Maldonado, who is trained to perform CPR.
He found a man who had collapsed and was not breathing. He told another man there to hold the man's head up as he performed CPR.
The man needing medical attention, an employee with McMahan Welding, was taking waste to the station, where he stopped breathing at least three times, Maldonado recalled.
The man who collapsed was not identified Tuesday.
CPR, aka cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an emergency procedure performed to quickly restore air and blood flow. Maldonado and his colleagues are required to be certified to perform CPR.
It's a procedure more people should know how to perform, he added.
"You never know when the Lord might put you to a test," Maldonado said.
Yoakum City Manager Kevin Coleman said in a statement that the city is proud of Maldonado's and others' efforts that day.
"Tony stepped up in a really big way and with the aid of the other guys on the crew, managed to get the man the help he needed," he said. "Knowing that we have caring employees that have the skills, knowledge and compassion to help someone in that situation is very reassuring."
If no one had acted, "he would've been gone," Maldonado said.
"Don't hesitate," he said. "Just go."
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