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JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (FOX 29) - The family of a 15-year-old girl who suddenly went into cardiac arrest at a roller skating rink say the responding officers who gave her CPR saved her life.
"I just felt really blessed and lucky that there was someone there to help me," says Victoria Pyott.
Back in March, Victoria was at Jackson Skating Center with her father and friends when she suddenly collapsed.
"Her friend frantically came up and she said Victoria fell," says Bob Pyott, Victoria's father.
Victoria has a pre-existing heart condition and wears a pacemaker, but he says he never thought her heart was the reason she collapsed.
Officer Anthony Riso, one of the Jackson Township Police Department's head CPR trainers, and Officer Randall Trasky, just happened to be at a church behind the rink when they got the call.
They arrived at the rink within minutes and immediately started doing CPR. Officer Cassiopeia Delatorre and Sergeant Michael Grochowski arrived shortly after.
"At some point, we did get a pulse back, the pulse faded, we continued CPR and after two more shocks with the defibrillator, we were able to get a stable pulse back," says Officer Riso. "At the time you just focus on what you're doing. After the fact it kind of all hits you like, alright, that was a 15-year-old girl that will hopefully now be able to go to prom, graduate high school."
Victoria's parents say that doctors called her recovery a miracle and said that in order for her to make the recovery she did, the timing and execution of the officer's CPR and defibrillator had to be perfect.
"They saved her life," says Marlene Pyott. "God used them to save her life."
Victoria has since reunited with the officers. She is back at school, working hard to make up all the work she missed and has a new pacemaker.
She wears a fit bit to track her heart monitor just in case.
"I'm not mad about what happened. A lot of people are like, 'I'm so sorry for what happened to you,' but it's OK, everything happens for a reason," she says. "I'm really not upset about it. It led me to here and I got to meet everyone that saved me."