‘A Miracle’: Priest reunites with first responders who saved his life

Five Batesville first responders honored for actions

(BATESVILLE, Ind.) – Batesville Fire & Rescue makes it their mission everyday to save lives. 

One specific call earlier this summer allowed the first responders to accomplish that mission. 

The department was dispatched to St. Louis Church on July 25 where they encountered an unconscious male. 

That man was Fr. Stan Pondo who was suffering from a cardiac emergency. 

“They started CPR right away and along with their ALS skills, they were able to get Return of Spontaneous Circulation,” Batesville EMS Chief Joe Getha. 

Pondo was rushed to Margaret Mary Health before being transported to a Cincinnati hospital where he made a full recovery.

The Batesville Fire & Rescue crew who responded to the emergency were Dave Krause, Jacob King, Zachary Fleisher, Lindsey Brison and Derrik Justice. 

A ceremony was held at the firehouse on Monday night where Pondo was reunited with the first responders. 

The priest thanked each responder while sharing a statistic that he has heard from several different medical professionals. 

“I have had four different doctors tell me that the survival rate for people who have ventricular fibrillation outside of the hospital is less than 5 percent,” Pondo told the firefighters

He added, “Those doctors each call it a miracle.” 

The five responders were awarded the Cardiac Arrest Save Commendation from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the Emergency Medical Services Commission.

EMS Chief Joe Getha organized the ceremony to recognize each first responder, with many of them having their family in attendance. 

“They just work great as a team. It’s been really incredible to see the things that they can do when responding to a call. Our protocols are very strong and they are very strong in their skills,” Getha added. 

The ceremony also included the swearing-in of two new Batesville firefighters, Scott Holmes and Derrik Justice.