Miraculous Survival: A Heart-Stopping Journey and Gratitude to Davie County First Responders

Joe Scott shouldn’t be here today. On November 3rd, his heart suddenly stopped while walking his dog, and for two to three minutes, he was clinically dead. 

Each year, approximately 350,000 persons in the United States experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest or sudden death; a staggering  90% die.

Yet, on December 9th, just five weeks later, Joe, accompanied by his wife, Joyce, walked into Davie County EMS Station 1 with homemade cookies to express gratitude to the first responders who saved his life.

Joe Scott Thanks Davie County Emergency Personnel For Saving His Life 

“God was guiding every one of you that day, whether you know it or not. You are all heroes. I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Joe exclaimed. “You guys are wonderful. I wake up every morning thanking you guys. Before my feet hit the floor, I am thinking of you.” 

“My wife and I want you guys to know that you didn’t just save one life that day; you saved two. I am my wife’s primary caregiver, and a lot would have had to change for her without me. 

Having served as a volunteer EMT in the late 70s and early 80s, Joe knows how fortunate he is. Luckily for him and many other local residents, Davie County’s successful resuscitation rate is well above the national average. According to Brian Blunkall, Davie County EMS shift supervisor, Davie regularly receives gold or platinum awards from the North Carolina Office of Emergency Services (NCOEMS) for their outcomes.

“We are constantly training and follow different guidelines, which have improved our outcomes. Be glad you were in Davie County and not another place,” Blunkall proudly told Joe.   

Divine Providence

The Scotts still marvel at the number of small decisions contributing to Joe’s life being saved. Together, they recounted each step of what they consider God’s divine intervention, beginning with a change in his walking route. 

They live at the corner of Gwyn and Tot Streets, so Joe explained that he normally made a right on Gray Street and then cut back around the Senior Center. However, on November 3rd, for some reason he couldn’t explain, he decided to walk the dog down Valley Road for the first time. 

“God was putting you out there where someone could see you,” Joyce quickly replied. 

Mocksville firefighters Ryan Hall and Taylor Mohat, who happened to be on the way back from lunch, heard the call come across the radio and raced to the scene without waiting to be dispatched, saving precious minutes.  

While a bystander had called 911, no one had started CPR. While Hall checked for a pulse, Mohat quickly started chest compressions. Fortunately, he regained a pulse before they had to shock his heart.   

Soon, Davie County Rescue Squad’s Blunkall and Kevin Hendrix arrived to help, as did Davie County EMS. EMT Colby Sanders, who was driving the ambulance, raced him to the hospital while paramedics Jake Smith and Jennifer Meuser treated him in the back.

Joe spent a week in the hospital and received a combination pacemaker/defibrillator. “Next time I pass away, I’ll still have a heartbeat,” he quipped. He didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. Doctors at Baptist still don’t know what caused his heart to stop spontaneously and are continuing to study his case. His only side effects have been a little short-term memory loss that the doctors expect to resolve over the next year. 

He continues to be shocked that something like this could happen to him. “Although I am almost 73 years old, I eat right, and it is nothing for me to walk two to three miles a day with the dog. I thought I was one of the last people who could develop a heart problem.”  

Joe credits the first responders for not only saving his life but renewing his faith in God.  

He explained that at nineteen, he was sent to Vietnam and saw things no one should have to see. He was the only one of his five-member recon team to survive. “I felt like God wasn’t there. I couldn’t believe it, even though I tried. In the hospital, I realized God had been there the whole time. It took what you did to bring God back to me.” 

Joe ended the visit by offering his support. “I think the public has to go through something like I did to understand your full value. If there is anything I can ever do for you, just ring my number, and I will be here for you like you were here for me.” 

The visit from Joe Scott brought joy to the first responders, who rarely witness such positive outcomes.

“It’s not very often that we get to have an event like this,” Blunkall noted. “Getting to see Mr. Scott from the start of the issue to such a great outcome is wonderful.”   

Hall echoed his sentiments, sharing that the Scotts’ visit was only the second time he has had this opportunity in his four years as a firefighter. “It’s heartwarming to meet someone on the good side of a situation. When we shut the ambulance doors, it’s usually the end of it. We may hear that a patient made it out of the hospital, but seeing him, talking to him, and knowing that our hard work made a difference in his life is awesome.”