BOS Security Officer David George was not expecting to save someone’s life when clocking into his regular post at the Athens Multi-Modal Transit Center at 5:40 Tuesday morning, August 30. When a bus driver began having a heart attack as passengers were loading, Officer George’s emergency response knowledge and fast action saved the man’s life. 

Think Fast 

David George has been an Officer with BOS Security for three years. Prior to this, he served as a United States Marine during the Iraq conflict. Officer George learned his emergency response tactics while in the military but refreshed his CPR knowledge with the training required of BOS Security Officers.  

Around 10:50am, Officer George was patrolling the transit center as normal when he noticed that one of the buses was reversing abnormally, crashing into another bus queued up behind it. After watching the crash, he ran over to the bus, immediately knowing the driver was having a heart attack based on the suddenness of the situation. He first opened the window on the driver’s side to open the passenger door with the driver’s controls. After getting the door open, he found the driver was unconscious with his foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal. 

Officer George pulled the driver out of the seat and onto the floor to begin performing CPR, instructing another bus driver to put the bus into park. Initially, the driver’s breathing was going in and out and Officer George was unable to find a pulse. While continuing to perform CPR, Officer George instructed the other driver to call 911 and a custodian to bring him the automated external defibrillator kit, or AED.  

He continued to perform CPR until he received the AED machine. The AED works by analyzing the rhythm of the heart and determining if a shock is necessary. He cut the driver’s shirt off and applied the patches. The AED indicated the driver needed to be shocked, so Officer George made sure he was clear and shocked him. The man came to for a bit but then stopped breathing again. At this time, a civilian approached, asking if she could assist as she was a nurse. She took over performing CPR while the AED analyzed the driver’s heart again.  

Officer George had to shock the driver’s chest twice more, the nurse performing CPR when needed. The driver finally was able to maintain his breathing and maintain a faint pulse. For the first time since the medical emergency began, the driver was stable. 

Twenty-five minutes after calling 911, first responders and EMS arrived. Officer George continued to aid, assisting EMS in loading the driver onto the gurney and into the ambulance so that he could be transported to a regional hospital.  

As EMS was leaving, they announced that whoever had used the AED machine had saved the driver’s life. Officer George completed his assigned shift, EMS returning later to let them know that the driver was still alive. The latest update from Athens Transit reported that the driver was up and talking and expected to make a full recovery and return to work soon. 

The BOS Difference

What began as a normal shift became a life-or-death situation that was gracefully handled by Officer George. His quick action and clear thinking avoided a potentially fatal outcome at the Athens Multi-Modal Transit Center. 

BOS Security is proud to have officers like David George represent our business and our values. Join us in recognizing and thanking Officer George for his heroic acts while wearing the BOS Security uniform.