A Texas history teacher, Adam Compton, 46, suffered a cardiac arrest during a school-sponsored skating event on November 7th at MacArthur High School in San Antonio. Compton began feeling unwell while skating with his students before collapsing unconscious.
Two quick-thinking students, Aidan Anthony-Gonzalez and Steven Amaro, immediately sprang into action. While other students called 911, Anthony-Gonzalez and Amaro retrieved the school’s automated external defibrillator (AED). Simultaneously, other students located the school’s athletic trainer, Amanda Boyd, to assist.
Amaro, a senior, had recently received CPR certification just weeks before the incident. He confidently applied the AED pads and prepared the device. “I opened everything up, put the pads on him, and that’s when the paramedics came and I let them take over,” Amaro recounted. He expressed the surreal nature of the experience, stating, “I never thought I would have to do it in person because it’s something you don’t expect. And it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing that should never happen to anyone.”
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Boyd arrived at the scene and assessed Compton’s condition. Finding no pulse, she immediately began CPR. Amaro recalled Boyd administering the shock that ultimately revived Compton. Emergency medical services arrived shortly thereafter and transported Compton to the intensive care unit.
Compton’s memory of the event is fragmented. “I asked one of the students next to me, ‘How long have I been out?’ They said, ‘A couple of minutes.’ Then nothing after that. From there, I woke up in the hospital,” he shared. Grateful to be alive, Compton reflected on the near-death experience, stating, “I’m still processing how slim the chances were. It’s really humbling.”
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Compton has since been released from the hospital and has returned to teaching. While he has not yet resumed skating, he hopes to do so soon. The profound impact of the event resonated deeply with Compton, especially during the Thanksgiving holiday. He expressed gratitude for his family, realizing, “I almost didn’t have this.” This incident underscores the critical importance of CPR training and the availability of AEDs in schools and public spaces.
