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Woman Thanks 911 Dispatcher For Helping Her Save Husband's Life

EAGLE ROCK (CBS) — An Eagle Rock woman Friday finally came face-to-face with the 911 dispatcher she says saved her husband's life after he went into cardiac arrest back in February.

Deanna Brigidi-Stewart says she was absolutely hysterical when she first called 911 about 11 p.m. on Feb. 27.

"I have never done CPR. I can't tell you today how to do CPR but I did it that day," she recalls.

911 Call Operator: Listen to what I'm about to tell you. I want you to place the heal of your hand on his breast bone in the center of his chest.

911 Call Operator: You gotta push down hard and fast. Ok? Keep doing compressions. We're already on the way.

Caller: We're in the bedroom, sir.

Listening to the tape, CBS2/KCAL9's Mike Dinow says you can clearly hear Brigidi-Stewart performing CPR for several minutes.

The 911 dispatcher then guided her through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

911 Call Operator: Cover his mouth with your mouth and blow 2 regular breaths in the lungs… about 1 second each. The chest should rise up with each breath.

This proved to save her husband's life.

911 Call Operator: Put each ear next to his mouth.

Caller: He's breathing a little bit now sir. He's taken a breath.

With her two young children by her side, Brigidi-Stewart finally got the chance to thank the man she says saved her husband's life – Los Angeles Fire Department Dispatcher Al Camacho.

"Having the knowledge and the skills that's required to be in here, I think it kind of brought everything together and I'm just happy that Mrs. Stewart is the family, and all together and doing great," Camacho said.

"The outcome would not have been the same if I was paired with another person," she said.

Camacho is one of 26 dispatchers on duty at Metro Fire daily.

He says, when it came to that call, he was simply doing his job.

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