2 TSA Agents Hailed As Heroes For Saving Man's Life At Phila. International Airport
By Matt Rivers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A couple of TSA agents at the Philadelphia International Airport are being hailed as heroes after saving a man's life at a security checkpoint.
George Senkler woke up on the airport floor, looking up to a dozen people looking down.
"People inches from my face, with smiles on their faces," says George.
They were smiling because the worst was over. George and his wife were headed to Minnesota, standing in the security line when, "All of the sudden I see his whole body go down," says George's wife, Carol.
George was having a heart attack and collapsed, unconscious and not breathing.
"I just screamed 'Emergency,'" Carol says.
Then the heroes showed up.
TSA officers Connie LaBouff and Lashanda McLean heard what happened and rushed to give CPR.
Connie says, "I think what was going through our minds was we didn't want to let him die."
TSA officers are not regularly trained to do CPR, but Connie and Lashanda received previous training.
Connie had learned as part of her role as a girl's varsity high school soccer coach, and Lashanda learned during some training she had as an EMT.
They did CPR until AED was used on George's chest, and the father of two opened his eyes.
Connie says, "When he came back we were like 'Yeah! We got him!'"
Lashanda adds, "Asked him his name, how is he feeling, where he is going. I told him 'you're good today.'"
Eight days later, George was asked about what could have been.
"Really, I'm still processing that."
His wife Carol says, "It's tough because if the outcome had been different, I'd be sitting here in black and our whole family would be devastated."
But instead, there is a life to be lived, perhaps future grandchildren to spoil, thanks to two women who did the right thing at the right time.
"Our kids still have their dad, and you can't give anyone a greater gift than that," Carol says.