'He's alive today because of them': Officers, medics welcome home cardiac arrest survivor

    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPTV) -- On Dec. 13, 2024, life flashed before the eyes of a Port St. Lucie couple.

Shannon Ferguson was at home with his fiancé Renee Ward relaxing after dinner when he suffered a clogged coronary artery.

"He started making a weird sound like he was trying to catch his breath," said Ward. "I just called 911, put the phone on speaker and did CPR the best I could."

The Port St. Lucie Police Department and St. Lucie County Fire District Station 17 arrived at their home and tried to save Ferguson's life.

"The first responders came in with a mission ... and that was to save him," Ward said. They are the real heroes."

It was 11:11 p.m. when they arrived at the Cleveland Clinic in Tradition and were told Ferguson had passed away. Moments later a miracle happened.

"They came in and checked him," Ward said. "His foot moved, he had a pulse and they say he woke up fighting."

WPTV reporter Brooke Chau asked Ferguson and Ward if they had a chance to see the officers and medics again, what would they want to say?

The couple was full of emotion and said they would want to thank Port St. Lucie first responders for everything.

Little did they know, waiting for them outside of their home, standing with balloons and flowers would be the officers and medics who responded to their call the night of Dec. 13. A total surprise!

"Wow! I think I recognize a couple of them but that night was a blur," Ward said. "Oh, thank you, officers!"

Reflecting and thanking the police department and fire district, Ward said, "He's alive today because of their efforts. It was an effort of everybody that was here that night because he was helpless. He was dead."

Doing better than ever, the couple is back on their feet and set to get married in February 2025.