JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas – A routine workout turned into a lifesaving mission for Army Col. (Dr.) Chris Graybill, a trauma surgeon at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), when a fellow gym-goer collapsed in front of him at the Jimmy Brought Fitness Center.
Graybill had just finished his night trauma shift and was on the treadmill when a man in his late 60s, walking briskly on the treadmill ahead of him, suddenly stopped and fell, hitting his head on Graybill’s treadmill.
Gym staff members Joseph Contreras and Jason Wylie rushed to assist as U.S. Army veteran Darryl Aitch lay unconscious and without a pulse, wedged beneath the treadmill. They carefully pulled him out so Graybill and the staff could assess his condition.
“I immediately thought about a potential brain injury or neck injury,” Graybill explained, “so I focused on keeping his neck immobilized and his airway open.”
Contreras quickly retrieved the gym’s automated external defibrillator (AED), while Wylie called 911 and alerted Lucian Kimble, the fitness center manager. Contreras and Graybill began administering CPR, and assistant gym manager Mykel Travis helped with the AED.
“When we put the defibrillator on, it indicated his heart rhythm was disorganized and he needed to be shocked,” Graybill said. It took three shocks before Aitch began to breathe again.
“After 10 or 12 minutes, he woke up,” Graybill recounted. “EMS arrived, and by the time he left on a stretcher, he was asking questions. For him to wake up and start talking was fantastic.”
Graybill praised the gym staff for their swift response. “They did an awesome job,” he said.
Kimble noted that the fitness center staff had completed Adult First Aid/CPR/AED training in February. “Joseph’s quick response and CPR skills were crucial. I was so proud of these guys,” he said.
Travis agreed, calling it a life-changing event. “Everything happened like clockwork,” he said. “Our training kicked in, and that’s why you’re still here.”
Graybill later visited Aitch at BAMC, where he found him conversing with his family. “Fortunately, he remembered nothing because CPR and getting shocked are painful experiences,” Graybill said.
Aitch expressed his gratitude to those who saved him, saying, “I love all you guys.” Reflecting on the incident, he added, “I think what happened to me was for someone else to see or to overcome. I’m going to overcome this. It’s mind over matter.”
Graybill emphasized the importance of CPR and AED training, suggesting that people take a Basic Life Support course to be prepared for emergencies. He also praised Holly Ortega and the BAMC education team for their role in teaching lifesaving skills.
“When you save someone, it’s not just about saving a life, it’s about giving them a meaningful quality of life after,” he said. “When that happens, it is extremely gratifying. In trauma medicine, we get to see the immediate impact of our actions.”
Despite the scare, Aitch is eager to return to the gym. “All of us are going to die one day, so why would I sit around worrying about dying? I’m worrying about living.”