TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — December 10, 2024 started out as just a normal night here at the Terre Haute Casino Resort. But for one Farmersburg couple and select staff members, that date will be engrained in their memory forever.
On that fateful night, Keith and Cindy Wrightsman came to the casino in hopes of using some of their free play. Cindy says shortly after their arrival, Keith went into cardiac arrest, flatlining for nearly eight minutes.
“They worked hard on him,” Cindy said. “These fire department and people here worked hard on him to even get a pulse so that they could transport him to the hospital.”
Keith says he remembers sitting down at the casino, then waking up in the hospital.
“And then I guess I talked their head off in the ambulance,” Keith said. “I don’t remember it, but they said I didn’t shut up.”
That ambulance trip would have been much different if casino staff did not act quickly. Facilities manager Cory Roberts said he was called from the back of house to the floor when the incident happened.
“As soon as I arrived and found him, another fellow coworker was getting ready to start CPR, so we quickly got an AED coming,” Roberts said. “Quickly started CPR and started life-saving measures.”
The Terre Haute Fire Department presented six casino staff members and an officer from the Indiana Gaming Commission with life-saving awards. Public information officer Captain Nick Arnold says they were the real heroes in this situation.
“They recognized the emergency,” Arnold said. “They stepped into action without without hesitation. Early CPR, early defibrillation, they saved this man’s life today. Because of their actions and because of the actions of any early CPR or any early defibrillation, that triples the patient’s chances of having a successful outcome.”
The Wrightsmans have been married for 57 years, and Cindy is grateful that number will continue to grow.
“I cannot express my gratitude for what they’ve done for us,” Cindy said.
The Wrightsmans say that Cindy has since gotten to use her free play and they look forward to more casino trips together in the future.
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