Man gets chance to thank OC police, first responders who saved his life

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- When Jesse Anderson collapsed at a concert in Santa Ana, police and first responders refused to give up, even when CPR didn't appear to work. They're the reason the 20-year-old is alive today.

"People told them to stop doing CPR, one of them decided to keep going, I'm just thankful," Anderson said.

Anderson and his girlfriend went to a concert at the Observatory in Santa Ana. Suddenly, he collapsed.

Friends carried him outside and called for help. That's when onsite EMT Kevin DeCou and security guard Duane Lewis ran to his side.

"He was lifeless, he passed away in our minds," said DeCou. "Just to see him walk through this door and his family, it's like winning the lottery."

The pair began CPR as Cpl. Oscar Lizardi and Officer John Rodriguez from Santa Ana police rushed to help. For nine minutes, they took turns performing CPR, despite people in the crowd saying he was already gone.

"The first thing that came to my mind is this is somebody's son, and there's no way I'm going to stop at this point," Lizardi said.

Paramedics took Anderson to the hospital, where doctors put him in a medically-induced coma.

After two days, he started responding. He eventually made a full recovery.

Doctors said he experienced a cardiac arrest brought on by a severe electrolyte imbalance.

On Wednesday, Anderson and his family came back to the Observatory to say thank you to the men who never quit on him.

"Definitely one of the happier moments of my career, so it's good to see him," Rodriguez said.

"I say if it wasn't for these officers that night, they really saved two lives that night, because I don't know what I'd do without him," said Jeff Anderson, Jesse's father.