(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) (WTVF) — On December 16th, 65-year-old Wayne Young was finishing up a delivery at The Factory at Franklin when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest. That's when a group of bystanders nearby stepped up to help.
One of those bystanders was Benjamin Ingram, the General Manager at Edley's Bar-B-Que. Before Young collapsed Ingram was taking inventory, just like he does every Tuesday.
"As I was walking out of the office, I saw him fall down. When I saw him fall down I dropped everything and ran out there," he said.
What would unfold over the next 15 minutes was anything but routine. In security camera video released by the City of Franklin, with Young's permission, within second's of his collapse you can see a group of bystanders rush to his side. One calls 911, and then dispatch instructs someone to start CPR and another to find an Automated External Defibrillator or an AED.
"I just ran to the first place, I was praying the whole time," said Ingram. "First place I ran to I found the AED."
The bystanders even administered a shock to Young before paramedics were able to arrive. Austin Cooper is a Lieutenant Paramedic with the Franklin Fire Department. He and his crew were the closest team to The Factory when the call upgraded to a cardiac arrest. He said every second matters in a medical emergency.
"From the time the patient goes down, to the time they walk out of the hospital, there's a chain of survival, everybody has to do their own thing. With them doing what they did, it helps out that chain of survival a lot. It's really encouraging."
Cooper said every minute a patient is down and does not receive the proper care, their chance of survival diminishes by 10%.
"I have no doubt the gentleman that survived would not be here if it weren't for that early intervention," explained Cooper. "Everything they did is a testament to why he's still here."
Ingram took CPR training years ago. This is the first time he has ever had to tap into use those skills, but he is happy he knew what to do when it mattered.
"You never know when you're gonna be in that situation, when it's needed to be able to actually help somebody when they need it, it's a precious part of life," said Ingram.
To put it into perspective, Williamson County dispatchers coached CPR over the phone 430 times in 2025 alone. That's more than one a day.
Ingram was even able to reunite with Young for the first time recently when he was making a delivery at The Factory. The group of bystanders were honored by the Franklin Fire Department with Civilian Lifesaving Awards for their actions on December 16th.
The Franklin Fire Department wants you to be empowered with the knowledge to be able to respond if you were put in a situation like this. On June 3rd, The Factory at Franklin will host the Community CPR & Public Safety Day. It's starts at 10 am. Training for CPR, bleeding control, choking, and administering Naloxone will be available.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Megan.Scarano@NewsChannel5.com
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