Waffle House worker saves man's life

SUMMERDALE, Ala. - Chris Yessick said a friend invited him to breakfast at the Waffle House on May 31st. It was a Sunday morning.

"I went to the bathroom everything was fine." Yessick said.

But, within a few minutes it was clear Yessick was in trouble.

"Paul said I raised my arms to stretch, and that's all I remember."

Surveillance video shows what happened. Yessick returns from the restroom, and within moments he seems to be struggle for breath.
Employees and other customers try to help, but no one knows what to do. Restaurant manager Jessica Akers maked the call to 911.

"It's like she just moved the curtain of fear back, and jumped in there, and started giving me CPR." Yessick said.

But, Akers was as scared as anyone.

"When something happens bad. I'm the one who freaks out. It just scared me real bad." "his finger nails were turning blue, his lips were turning blue. He wasn't making any eye contact with anybody." she said.

Akers who is pregnant said her sister died a few years ago, and she didn't want to lose someone on her watch. So, she got her first lesson in CPR over the phone.

"I told her I'm 8 months pregnant. I don't know what I'm suppose to do.l She told me to just begin chest compressions. Told me exactly where to put my hands." she said.

And the mom-to-be had to keep at until paramedics arrived.

"She did that for 8 1/2 minutes,,,,The nurse told me at South Baldwin that if she had not had a continuous rep on me the entire time I would not be here right now." Yessick said.

Akers will always be a hero to Yessick.

"Grateful that somebody wasn't scared, because you can tell in the video people was just frozen. Some tried and just backed off. If something happens to you I hope you're in the Waffle House."

And, hopefully Jessie will be on duty.

It was Yessick's second heart attack. It came one year a one day after the first one.