ORLANDO, Fla. — Two men went to the gym for a workout, never anticipating to be thrown into a life or death scenario.

  • Nurse Nick Slusser was at the right place, at the right time
  • Steve Paratore's "light switch" was flipped off while at the gym
  • He says God put Slusser in front of him to save his life
  • Get more Everyday Heroes here

"I sat down on a machine. I did one rep, one single lift, and a lady came up to me and told me to call 911," said Nick Slusser. 

Steve Paratore, a regular at an L.A. Fitness in Orlando, said he was mid-sentence in a conversation with another gym goer when he collapsed, crumbling beneath a Smith machine.

"It's like you hit a light switch, the Steve Paratore light switch, and I was on the ground," the man recalled.

"It looked like he was struggling to breathe, his eyes were wide open in peril," remembered Slusser.

Slusser did not know Paratore, but it did not matter. He moved to Orlando five years ago to go to the University of Central Florida and eventually become a nurse, nabbing a spot at Orlando Regional Medical Center working on the 10th floor for neurology.

"I knew I always wanted to help people," Slusser said. "People in the hospital are typically in the worst times of their life. Any way to just help them, help them feel better is really special."

And one Saturday in June 2019, with only a few months on the job under his belt, Slusser sprang into action, suddenly assessing and compressing alongside another good Samaritan nurse as Paratore laid motionless on the floor.

He felt no pulse, but Slusser continued compressions, never stopping until fire crews arrived and took Paratore to the hospital five minutes later.

"I've done it on dummies hundreds of times," he said. "I knew the only chance of this person surviving is good CPR."

Six days later, Paratore opened his eyes, waking up in the hospital after his medical episode and medically-induced coma; doctors placed a defibrillator in his chest.

With his New Jersey family by his side, Paratore said he could not wait to make the call.

"He says, 'Hey, my name is Steve. I was at LA Fitness two weeks ago, you saved my life,'" recalled Slusser of the conversation.

"I said, 'Nick you sound a little standoffish, why is that?' He said, 'Well sir, with all due respect, I thought you passed away,'" Paratore said. 

Paratore said that he considers Slusser to be a hero for saving his life, applauding him for never hesitating to help in his hour of need.

He also said that the episode highlighted the importance of knowing CPR.

"I believe that God put Nick in front of me, as my angel," he said. "I couldn't have fallen in front of anybody better."