NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Newport News Firefighters jumped into action when a woman was having a heart attack. Today she thanked them for their quick and brave actions.
March 20 is a day Latonya McBride says she’ll never forget when she was having a heart attack while driving. She pulled over when she wasn’t feeling well and firefighters from Newport News Fire Station 7 saved her life.
"I’m glad we were in the right place driving by," Patrick Primeaux, a Newport News fire lieutenant said. McBride responded to the group of firefighters saying "If y'all hadn’t have came around that corner, I would have been dead in front of y'all fire station."
As McBride stopped by to drop off thank you cards, she says she’s thankful for the group of firefighters. McBride’s heart attack was more than a month ago and she’s still healing.
"The doctor that did the surgery he told me my left artery and right artery was 99 percent blocked. He said if they hadn’t have come out, in 5 minutes I would have been gone. They put two stints in my heart and here I am like nothing even happened," McBride tells News 3's Leondra Head.
Patrick Primeaux, a Newport News fire lieutenant says it’s very rare for him to be reunited with someone whose life he helped save.
"Not often do we actually get to see people and hear their story after the fact. To hear the story has been really special for us," Primeaux, tells News 3's Leondra Head.
He says an off-duty firefighter first noticed McBride.
"He came in and grabbed us and said ‘hey, something is going on in the front. There’s a car out in front of Engine 7’s bay. Thankfully, the engine and the medic were both here that day instead of out on another call. We were able to get her out on a stretcher and put in the back of the medic," Primeaux said/
Here are McBride’s recommendations to others when something doesn’t feel right:
"Whatever is going on with your heart, even if it’s just gas go and get checked out because you never know."
