LOCAL 618 MEMBER Cody Roberts has been praised as one of the heroes who saved the life of an East Olympia man who suffered a heart attack earlier this year.

Roberts — who is Thurston County Communications Chapter Chair for the Local — took a 911 call from Sheri Ryan, whose husband Craig Thompson had collapsed unconscious on the floor.

Although Ryan said she did not remember how to give CPR, Roberts walked her through the crucial steps — timed breaths and chest compressions — to keep Thompson artificially breathing. As he did, Ryan started recalling her training.

After a while, Ryan could feel Thompson’s breath on her cheek as she administered artificial respiration. Roberts encouraged her to keep going.

Rescue workers arrived in minutes and took over.

"Thompson is alive today — and fully functioning — likely because of Roberts’ persistence, patience and care in conjunction with Thompson’s wife’s actions," according to a report in The Olympian newspaper.

In a letter to the newspaper, Ryan and Thompson wrote, "We extend our gratitude, appreciation and praise for the 9-1-1 dispatcher, Fire Chief Ettore Castellente and his excellent medics at East Olympia’s Fire District 6."

Roberts, 25, was honored at a Real Heroes Breakfast in Lacey earlier this year not only for his role in saving Thompson’s life, but also for his assistance in a similar situation.

In that occurrence, he walked Nancy LaGasa through the steps of CPR so her husband, Bruce, could help a friend who also had suffered cardiac arrest.

"Cody was great," LaGasa told The Olympian. "He was just very calm and thorough.”