Former Missouri senator suffers “widow-maker” heart attack

A former state senator is recovering Monday night after suffering from a heart attack.

Former state Sen. Joe Moseley is using his experience to encourage people to learn the life-saving techniques of CPR that saved him.

“What is so amazing is he went from a flat-line on Saturday to coming home on Tuesday. How is that even possible?” Joe Moseley’s wife asks.

Moseley went for a ride with a local bike group and neighbor Saturday. Breaking from the group, Moseley and his neighbor took a shorter route.

“When we were getting close to New Haven School off Olivet Road, he was concerned about the way I was acting, ” Moseley says.

The neighbor then asked if Joe was having any chest or arm pain. Moseley thought it was just the cold air causing him problems.

As soon as they arrived at New Haven School, Moseley collapsed and his neighbor began to perform CPR.

Mosey says, “He was yelling loud enough at me to breathe because I wasn’t. He said I was an unattractive blue color.”

Across the street someone called 911, and within 10 minutes a fire truck and ambulance arrived.

They shocked his heart and immediately took him to University Hospital.

The doctors told Moseley a blood clot caused the heart attack.

University of Missouri paramedic Jay Hamner says he thinks everyone should be trained in CPR.

“Anyone physically able to do CPR needs to be trained in CPR and know how to do it because you never know in a moment’s notice when you will be asked to perform that life-saving measure,” he says.

The technique to perform CPR has changed over the years. Instead of doing chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth, the proper technique is now just chest compressions.

Moseley says his bike club has vowed to become certified in CPR in the near future. Moseley plans to become CPR-certified after his first-hand experience with it.

To find a CPR training class near you provided by the Red Cross, visit their page at www.RedCross.org/CPR-Training.