A martial arts class quickly went from a lesson in self-defense to a lesson on saving a life.
It happened at a dojo in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Monday.
Three off-duty first responders were taking a jiu-jitsu class when their friend suddenly collapsed.
George was not breathing and had no pulse, so his first responder friends and martial arts classmates reacted immediately.
Police Sgt. Donny Reddington and firefighter and paramedic Nick Robinns started CPR.
Their other friend, Det. David Ross, ran down to a nearby gym and grabbed a defibrillator off the wall to try to restart George's heart.
Nick describes how he felt trying to save his friend's life.
"We do it all the time ... but it was pretty emotional because we knew him.. and we were able to work as a team.. and George is going to go home and have a second chance at life essentially with his 13-year-old son and his family," he said.
The friends don't usually take the Monday night class, including George. He says he only came because his family was out of town and he was bored. Had he been home alone, this could have ended very differently.
His friends say they hope to see George back at the dojo soon.
