DETROIT (WXYZ) — On Tuesday, 39-year-old Micah Parker was reunited with the Detroit Medical Center staff who helped save his life after he suffered a heart attack on the job just a few months ago.
"I'm just happy to be here," Parker said.
He said it was his coworker for the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union Local 2, Alan Mamere, who ultimately rescued him on Sept. 13.
VIDEO: 'It was a regular day.' Worker talks about having a heart attack while on the job
"I just had to do something," Mamere said.
The two bricklayers say it started out as a normal day and now, it is a day they will never forget.
"We were talking about the next job I was going to and that's when it happened," Parker said.
"Before I could even turn around, he was already down," Mamere said.
VIDEO: Man describes moment he jumped into action to help save coworker
According to DMC cardiologist Carlos Oviedo, Parker's main artery was 100% blocked.
"The most important thing that the CPR did was to prevent his brain to suffer from the lack of blood flow," Oviedo said.
Mamere knew how to do CPR because Bricklayer's Local 2 requires all 3,700 of its employees to take training classes. It is something he and many of his coworkers previously considered a waste of time.
"We're all a bunch of construction workers. We were like the last thing we're going to have to do is use it. You know, we might get a cut or something but CPR, nah, we don't need it, but I guess we need it," Mamere said.
Foreman, Robert Ader said he will also be keeping a defibrillator in his work car from now on.
"The way we work, high in the air, high on scaffold, the trip to the ground to get it when you don't know where it's at could be the difference between him being here and not," Ader said.
Since the scare, Mamere said his outlook on CPR training has changed.
"Now, it's something you're like at any moment in time it could happen so, it's nice to know I'm capable of doing it if I need to apply it I can make it happen," Mamere said.
Local 2 is asking people in the community to get CPR training if possible and to take it seriously.
"It's not a game, at all. If you're not paying attention to anything dealing with that stuff just go because it's not a game and I'm a testament to that," Parker said.
