The rescuers next door
Created: 09/25/2022, 16:04
By: Stefan Reich
Susanne and Max Geuther expressed their gratitude to the "helpers on site" when they visited the BRK on-call service in Gilching.
There were flowers for first aider Jörg Lager (l.).
Head of on-call duty Niklas Lenz (right) was delighted with a new emergency backpack and a ventilator that were bought with a donation from the Geuthers.
© BRK
Two and a half years ago, Susanne Geuther's heart suddenly stopped.
Without quick first aid, including by the Gilching "helpers on site", she would probably no longer be alive, says the Gilchingerin.
Gilching – Susanne Geuther celebrates her birthday twice a year.
Once on the day that is in the passport as the date of birth.
And once in early February.
But then only for two.
With a friend to whom she owes no less than her life.
She discovered the then 53-year-old on February 1, 2020 after a cardiac arrest and reacted decisively.
Jörg Lager from the BRK's "On-Site Helpers" service in Gilching is one of the people who helped bring Susanne Geuther back to life.
A few days ago he and Geuther met again for the first time.
The former human resources manager and her husband visited him when he was on standby and brought a donation.
“By then I had a lifesaver.
Now I have two,” says the 56-year-old.
"Me and my husband just wanted to say thank you."
But the encounter should also help to process and complete her picture of those dramatic moments that Geuther has no personal memory of.
It's been two and a half years now.
Dog owner Geuther had an appointment in Gilching's town center for "mantrailing", an exercise in which dogs follow the tracks of a person.
The process was discussed, then Geuther went to her car to get Donna, her giant schnauzer bitch.
When she didn't come back, the friend went looking and found Geuther lifeless in the open trunk of her car.
Sudden cardiac death was later diagnosed.
The friend, realizing the seriousness of the situation, called 911, calmed the dog down, wanting to protect her owner, and began chest compressions.
Just about a minute later, Jörg Lager from the “Helper on Site” service was there.
There are several of these first aid groups in the district.
They are affiliated with BRK, Wasserwacht, DLRG or fire brigades, in some places under the name "First Responder", and are alerted by the rescue control center if they can get to the scene faster than an ambulance.
However, they are not part of the statutory rescue services.
They are volunteers with sound first aid knowledge.
Training and equipment are largely funded by donations.
The equipment includes a defibrillator that can also be used by laypersons.
With such a device, Jörg Lager got Susanne Geuther's heart beating again minutes before the emergency services arrived.
"The quick help was crucial for me being alive, at least for not having any permanent damage," says Geuther.
She wants to promote the fact that as many people as possible can provide first aid.
And that the work of the local helpers is valued.
The "on-site helpers" in Gilching alone have already been sent on around 570 assignments this year.
"Many people don't know anything about it, at least not that it's all voluntary work," says Geuther.
That's why she's now telling her story publicly.
The girl from Gilching is now completely healthy again.
The doctors could not find a cause for the cardiac arrest.
To be on the safe side, they put a small defibrillator under her skin that would monitor her heartbeat and deliver an electric shock in an emergency.
"I can now live quite well again without worrying that my life could suddenly come to an end," says Geuther, describing her condition.
Lager knows that he has his part in it, but sees himself only as part of the rescue chain, "which could not have gone better".
He also underlines the importance of the girlfriend's chest compressions.
Everyone should refresh their first aid knowledge regularly, he and Susanne Geuther appeal.
She didn't think much about it before, she admits.
Now she knows how valuable that can be.