BELLEVUE, Wash. — She was off duty, but still on the job when a man in his 50s collapsed after a workout inside a L.A. Fitness at around 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
“It’s what appeared to be a heart attack, a massive heart attack, and (he) just went straight down and hit his head,” said Don Kitch, who was inside LA Fitness at the time.
Kitch said there was a lot of blood, and the man did not have a pulse and was not breathing.
Simpson called for this defibrillator and used it to get the man’s heart beating again before Bellevue EMTs even arrived.
He said Crystal Simpson, a volunteer firefighter who works at the gym, jumped into action.
KIRO 7 caught up with those EMTs later in the day. They said Simpson probably saved the man’s life, and Simpson told them she’s about to become a full-time firefighter in Snohomish County.
Kitch said that community is lucky to have her.
“It was remarkable, as a human being, to see another human being respond that way,” Kitch said.
KIRO 7 spoke with Simpson on the phone Sunday evening. She declined an interview and said she did what needed to be done.