April 16 - May 6, 2016 www.SanTanSun.com
Teen performs CPR, calls emergency to save coach’s life BY KEN ABRAMCZYK
A 13-year-old Kyrene Aprende Middle School student is urging the public to learn CPR after he saved the life of his baseball coach on March 28. Nathan Boyer was stretching and preparing for drills when he saw 26-yearold Isaac Wenrich collapse while sitting atop a bucket of balls and talking on his phone at Desert Breeze Park. The minor league baseball player had suffered a massive heart attack. Nathan’s instincts kicked in. He grabbed Wenrich’s phone, called 9-1-1 and followed the emergency dispatcher’s directions on quick chest compressions. He also recalled the CPR he learned in the Boy Scouts. Nathan told a dispatcher that his coach was not breathing, according to Val Gale, a battalion chief with the Chandler Fire, Health & Medical Department. The dispatcher instructed Nathan to roll Wenrich over, and he did so, assisted by a woman who was nearby. “The dispatcher told me to lock my hands and push on the middle of his chest, and that’s what I did, over and over and over again,” Nathan said. Meanwhile, the woman picked up the phone and spoke with the dispatcher, providing critical details on Wenrich and the location in the park, Gale said. Rescue crews arrived and took over with protocol for sudden cardiac arrest.
Kyrene Aprende Middle School student Nathan Boyer, who kept his coach alive by performing CPR on him, said he learned the life-saving technique as a Boy Scout. STSN photo by Tim Sealy
“I was worried because he wasn’t really responding,” Nathan said. Quick CPR compressions, done at a rate of about 100 compressions a minute,
Chandler has selected Marsha Reed as its new city manager. She has been the acting city manager since June when Rich Dlugas retired. Reed, a mother of four and a grandmother of one, moved to Chandler from Lubbock, Texas, and has lived here for three years. She is married to Brad Reed, who is a project manager for Maricopa County. The Reeds are already charmed by their new adopted city and its quality of life. “I like having an active lifestyle, being outdoors and enjoying the combination of parks, recreation, climate, restaurants, entertainment and neighborhoods,” she said. Regarding her new assignment, Reed
see CPR page 3
Google to test self-driving cars in Chandler
Marsha Reed appointed new city manager BY SRIANTHI PERERA
help keep the blood and oxygen flowing to vital organs, such as the brain and heart, during emergency responses to sudden cardiac arrest, Gale said.
Those compressions, followed by a quick defibrillation, give the heart a chance to recover, Gale said. “This young man monitored the coach, ran to get the nearby cross streets and did CPR,” Gale said. “He did a great job.” Nathan said he saw his coach on the following Thursday. “He said, ‘Thank you so much for saving my life. I owe you one,’” Nathan recalled. Gale agreed that Nathan’s actions saved the coach’s life. “He used his coach’s phone, and he was resourceful,” Gale said. “The dispatcher asked him to answer some questions, and he did. He was amazing.” The department plans to recognize Nathan at an upcoming meeting, Gale said. Nathan’s mother said she was proud of her son, and overwhelmed by his actions, even a week later. “You never plan on something like this as a parent,” Julie said. “I don’t have words,” Julie said. “My husband [Rick] and I don’t have words at all.” Wenrich, who was treated and released from a local hospital, could not be reached for comment. He did tell ABC News that he was “beyond thankful” for Nathan. “I think the Lord brings people in your life for crazy reasons and he just happened to put Nate in mine.” He called Nathan a “hard worker with the most amazing personality,” adding that “I
said her experience will go a long way. “I have a great feel for the position and the opportunities ahead,” she said. “My relationships with the City Council, City staff and business community are a huge benefit in this position.” Following Dlugas’ retirement, Chandler conducted a national search for a candidate, and although it had narrowed down a few applicants, the search did not result in a hire. “Marsha has done an exceptional job in her role as acting city manager,” Mayor Jay Tibshraeny stated in an email. “As the City Council reviewed the current candidate selection, it quickly became evident she was perfectly qualified to assume the role on a full-time basis. “I look forward to working with Marsha and her team as we continue to
BY KEN ABRAMCZYK
Google has chosen Chandler for the first Arizona test of its much-touted selfdriving cars. Chandler is the fourth U.S. city testing the cars, joining Austin, Texas; Mountain View, California; and Kirkland, Washington. Four test cars are already on Chandler’s streets to create a detailed map and to test desert conditions. Google is not offering test drives to the public just yet; these test drives over the next several weeks will be conducted by Google staffers. “With Chandler’s reputation as a technological and innovative hub, that went a long way for Chandler being named a test city,” Mayor Jay Tibshraeny says. “It’s a good fit for us being a
technology-oriented city and attracting technological companies and businesses.” These vehicles can detect objects as far as two football fields away. Software helps the vehicle navigate around objects or people, like when the car needs to stop for a pedestrian or another vehicle. Google developed the self-driving car test program to improve motorists’ safety, according to Jennifer Haroon, head of Google’s business operations for selfdriving cars. “About 33,000 people die on the roads in the U.S., and 94 percent of all crashes involve human error,” Haroon says. “We think that’s where the self-driving car can make an impact.” Some day, the self-driving car could assist drivers who experience vision problems or who have medical conditions see GOOGLE page 5
see REED page 3
Voted Chandler’s BEST REALTOR for 4 years!
F E AT U R E STO R I E S April Pools Day stresses water safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Former tech entrepreneur introduces Twizted Myrtle . . . . . . Hamilton debate team enjoys New York City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City accepting nominations for park’s monument . . . . . . . . . . August deadline for submissions to Art Quilts XXI: In Stitches . .
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