Dead For 17 Minutes, Firefighter Gets Second Chance At Life

TAMPA, FL -- A Tampa firefighter is back on the job only a few weeks after an accident in his home left him clinically dead for 17 minutes.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue saved the life of Tampa firefighter-paramedic Wes Stevens in December, only three days before his son was born.

Stevens is a woodworker and was using an electric machine in a process called fractal burning. He'd used the machine several times before. But, on this day, something went terribly wrong. It sent a 2,000-volt current of electricity through his hands and into his body, stopping his heart.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Ernie Foster was first on the scene and administered CPR until Hillsborough County Fire Rescue arrived minutes later to jolt Stevens’ unresponsive heart with a defibrillator – twice. After 17 minutes without a heartbeat, the second jolt brought him back.

"Dead is no pulse, not breathing, and he was there," said Hillsborough County Lt. Ryan Anusbigian. "Without intervention, he was not going to survive."

HCFR transported Stevens to Tampa General Hospital where he awoke two days later, just in time for his wife, Hannah, to give birth to their son, Morgan, in the same hospital.

Stevens believe the timely life-saving skills of HCFR and the desire to watch his son grow up is the reason he survived.

This month Stevens returned to full active duty at Tampa Fire Rescue’s Station 22.

As a thank you, Stevens created special firefighter flags for the crew that saved his life.

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