Life-Saving Rescue At Scottsdale Costco Earns Employees Recognition

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A routine stop for a prescription nearly turned deadly for a Scottsdale man this spring, until three Costco employees stepped in without hesitation.

Those employees — pharmacists Todd Gookin and Gary Bachmeier and receiving manager Mike Weston — will be recognized by the Scottsdale Fire Department at an 8 a.m. ceremony Wednesday at the Costco near Hayden and Frank Lloyd Wright roads, where the incident unfolded April 14.

Barry Baker was waiting near the pharmacy that afternoon when he suddenly lost consciousness. Gookin recognized the emergency and called 911, then alerted Bachmeier, who immediately began CPR.

Weston grabbed the store’s automated external defibrillator (AED), applied it and assisted until Scottsdale Fire crews arrived.

Baker survived the incident and was discharged from the hospital 10 days later after doctors discovered two arteries were 60 percent blocked.

Scottsdale Fire officials credited the employees’ rapid response, including CPR and use of an AED, with saving his life.

The outcome highlights what health experts say is possible when bystanders act quickly. More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States, according to the American Heart Association, and without CPR, roughly 90% of victims do not survive.

Immediate intervention can double or even triple survival odds, officials said.

"The quick thinking and teamwork demonstrated by these employees gave Mr. Baker the best possible chance of survival," Scottsdale Fire officials said.

Scottsdale Fire offers hands-only CPR training for community groups. More information is available at ScottsdaleAZ.gov by searching “Hands-only CPR.”