Gibbons and Klein honored with Citizen Heroism Awards

By RUBEN LOWMAN

North Myrtle Beach Fire Department Chief Garry Spain recently presented Suzanne Klein and NMB Parks and Recreation Operations Manager Matt Gibbons with a Citizen Heroism Award.

On September 8 one of the city’s residents was playing pickleball at the J. Bryan Floyd Community Center and suffered a cardiac event that put him in cardiac arrest.

Klein and Gibbons immediately jumped into action to assist. Klein, a former EMT, initiated CPR while Gibbons grabbed a defibrillator to use.

They continued CPR until the arrival of city emergency personnel, including the medic unit.

City crews found the patient with a pulse and continued emergency care alongside county personnel.

The patient was transported to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center where he had bypass surgery conducted and was released from the hospital a short five days later.

The selfless actions by both Klein and Gibbons saved the life of one of the city’s residents on that day.