BUTTE — It can happen anywhere at any time: you’re just walking down the street and, bang, you go into cardiac arrest. That’s what happened to a Butte man, but fortunately, there were people around who knew what they were doing, and they could save his life.
“It’s, you know, how do you say thank you? Everybody should learn how to do CPR, pay it forward as best you can, I guess. It’s just an amazing gift they gave me,” said heart attack survivor Tim Dick.
These lifesavers, and others, were given the gift of the Copper Heart Hero Award at a recent ceremony in the rotunda of the Butte Courthouse. The award is given to those who used CPR to save a life.
In June of last year, Tim Dick was on a daily walk when he had a heart attack. Judge Robert Whalen happened to be driving by and stopped to assist. Retired Butte Police Officer George Skuletich also stopped and started CPR on a man he’s known his whole life.
“But I didn’t know him until I rolled him over who it was. I mean, it didn’t matter who it was, we just started CPR on him until the ambulance showed up,” said Skuletich.
The fast response and knowing CPR saved his life.
“Knowing the basics of it, you don’t have to be a doctor, you don’t have to be anything, just give chest compressions until, you know, you can’t give them too hard, you can give them too soft, but you can’t give them too hard,” said Skuletich.
Dick added, “I don’t remember any of it until I woke up and found out that they’d saved my life and it’s an amazing thing.”
Thirty people, including firefighters and ambulance personnel, were given the Copper Heart for saving six lives.
“It’s a team effort and Butte-Silver Bow with the fire, the police, and the ambulance, we all work together and that’s so important in saving these lives,” said A-1 Ambulance member Arch Arntson.
One Butte man is thankful for the teamwork.
“I’m damn happy to be here, you know, just try to live life and enjoy it, you know, that’s all you can do, you realize it can end pretty quick,” said Dick.
