By Robin Miller
The Reporter
VACAVILLE, Calif. — Vacaville resident Vincent Hayes had been to Disneyland twice before — once at age 8 and again on his senior class trip. But the visit he made with his girlfriend on Aug. 4, a birthday gift, is the one he’ll never forget.
“I will tell my kids about this one day for sure,” he says with a laugh.
On Aug. 4, Hayes made the Happiest Place on Earth a little happier. That was the day the Vacaville Fire Protection District volunteer firefighter helped save the life of a man in cardiac arrest.
Hayes and his girlfriend had spent the entire day enjoying the park and, around 11:30 p.m. , decided to take one last ride on the Disneyland train.
Fate had other plans.
“We were sitting on the ride for like five minutes but it wasn’t going and I noticed some people nearby outside of the ride and they were talking to a man who was kind of slouched over,” he recalled. “I heard them asking him ‘are you OK?’ Then they started to lay him back and I heard someone say, ‘He’s not breathing!’”
Hayes said everything narrowed to a single focus.
“As soon as I heard that I got off the train,” he said. “I was just thinking, I would want someone to do this for me, and I was just focused on getting over there.”
As he approached, he called for Disney staff to get an AED (Artificial External Defibrillator) and jumped in to help. One person was already doing chest compressions, and Hayes took over the cycle, which involves five sets of 30 compressions or about 120 compressions.
“So I did my cycle and then handed it to the next person,” he explained.
The AED arrived and Hayes dumped its contents, grabbed the shears and cut the man’s shirt open. He used the kit’s shaver to clear the locations for placement of the AED pads and then advised everyone to step back as he powered it up to analyze the man’s condition.
“It said there was no heart rhythm detected, so we began compressions again,” he explained.
Then someone said the man was breathing, but Hayes corrected them immediately.
“I told them, no, that’s agonal breathing,” he said. Agonal breathing, an abnormal pattern of irregular, gasping breaths, are a clear sign of a severe medical emergency, most often cardiac arrest. It is not true breathing and does not provide sufficient oxygen to the body’s vital organs.
“It’s an end stage of death,” he said.
The rescuers continued compressions and administered shock from the AED, and the man regained a pulse. “Man, we were all just really happy,” he said.
Anaheim Fire officials arrived and took over, rushing the man to medical care.
That’s when he saw his girlfriend comforting a little boy nearby. “He was crying and I just got down on one knee and told him everything was going to be OK,” he said. “And that made me cry. I had tears!”
He subsequently learned that the man had survived and was transferred to a cardiac care center in Southern California.
Back in Vacaville, he initially didn’t tell his colleagues about the situation, but when they found out, news spread fast. His captain nominated him for an American Red Cross Life Saving Award. The organization presented him a Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action on Tuesday, his 20th birthday.
“Vincent’s quick thinking, selflessness, and determination to make a difference exemplify the Red Cross mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in times of crisis,” said the Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross North Bay Chapter, Vincent Valenzuela, who presented the award. “Heroes like Vincent remind us that lifesaving skills matter, and that one person can truly change the outcome of an emergency.”
More than that, the incident and the award have reminded Hayes — who will attend the academy in January — that his future career choice as a firefighter/paramedic is exactly right for him.
“I know this is what I’m meant to do,” said Hayes. “I love helping people even when they are down and out.”
The Cambridge Elementary and Vanden High School alum says his family always knew, too. “I remember my mom telling me when I was a kid that I was just ‘such a kind boy’ and I even won a kindness award in grade school,” he said.
His colleagues at the fire district joined in praising his career choice and his life-saving actions.
Vincent’s quick thinking, composure, and selfless actions exemplify the highest values of service and compassion,” they noted in a social media post. “His efforts serve as a powerful reminder that CPR saves lives, and we encourage everyone in our community to receive proper training.”
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