By James Hartley
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
SOUTHLAKE, Texas — A Southlake man wanted to thank members of the city’s police and fire departments for saving his life after he suffered cardiac arrest while driving and crashed his car. He did just that Tuesday.
Brent McCartney’s heart stopped while he was driving on Highway 114 last year, and his car crashed into a median. His daughter was in the car with him and called her mom, then her brother, then her grandmother. Then she dialed 911. Southlake police were on the scene before she knew it, Elizabeth McCartney said.
Brent was unconscious when police arrived, so they immediately removed him from the car and one officer began CPR until paramedics arrived and took over.
Brent coded again at the hospital and was put into a medically induced coma, but he survived and his wife, Laura Lee McCartney, said he’s fully recovered. Both Brent and Laura Lee were shocked when they watched on police body camera footage the speed at which first responders acted when they arrived.
“I would not be here today if it weren’t for the people standing behind me,” Brent said, with the firefighters and police who responded to the call standing behind him at a news conference Tuesday.
McCartney answered questions from the media, then took a moment to shake the hand of each man who stood behind him, thanking them for their live-saving response.
Laura Lee said one police officer went beyond the necessary and stayed with Elizabeth at the hospital until family arrived.
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