LAS VEGAS (AP) — The North Las Vegas Fire Department recognized a high school athletic trainer for saving a 17-year-old girl's life after the student collapsed in October.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Chely Arias began CPR on the Cheyenne High School senior after the teen had stopped breathing and was unresponsive during a flag football practice.
A student retrieved a portable defibrillator from the gym, and Arias used the device to try to revive the teen. The student's pulse returned after three attempts.
Fire Chief Joseph Calhoun honored Arias with a plaque during a ceremony Wednesday.
Calhoun says the actions by Arias demonstrate the need for more people to learn CPR and how to operate defibrillators.
Arias says the student's life was in her hands, which is a "unique feeling to have."
