SOMERVILLE, Tenn. — In times of an emergency, seconds can make a difference between life and death.

Recently, one Fayette Academy staff member used every second to make sure his coworker could live to see another day.

Thankfully, that coworker is alive to tell the story and thank the man who saved his life.

Steve Luthe has been Fayette Academy’s plant operations manager for 38 years.

He says one day, he was moving furniture with the help of his coworkers when he started having chest pains. He doesn’t remember what happened after that.

However, Jimmy Lewis, who is the school’s director of safety and security, was there and remembers every detail.

Jimmy says he immediately instructed staff to call 911 once he realized something was off.

“He still had a pulse at that time, but he was nonresponsive,” Jimmy said.

Without hesitation, Jimmy started chest compressions and didn’t stop until the Head of School came in with an AED.

Paramedics arrived shortly after. 

Steve regained consciousness as he was being loaded onto the stretcher. He says doctors confirmed he did have a heart attack.

“The chest compressions helped. The CPR. But I truly feel like the AED saved his life,” Jimmy said.

Jimmy says the entire incident happened over five to six minutes. He says Steve was not breathing for nearly three of those minutes.

“It felt like an eternity,” Jimmy said.

Steve says that had it not been for the quick actions of his colleagues, he might not be alive.

“It’s a miracle. That’s really all I can say,” Steve said.

Jimmy says he credits his quick thinking to his nearly 30 years in law enforcement.

“My heart was just so thankful that it was God’s will for him to live,” he said.

As for Steve, school officials are making sure he’s taking things easy.

Jimmy says there are currently three AEDs on campus. Now, he’s working to get one in every building.