A healthy 17-year-old high school athlete is probably one of the last people anyone expects to suffer sudden cardiac arrest. But during a volleyball match at Loganville Christian Academy in Georgia, that is exactly what happened to Claire Crawford.

Claire was playing in her senior night volleyball game when she suddenly began to feel faint. Shortly after serving the ball, she grabbed her chest, stumbled and collapsed on the gym floor.

She wasn’t breathing, and those nearby couldn’t find a pulse.

Fortunately, the school had prepared for an emergency like this.

Julie Sirmans, an academic dean and member of the school’s CPR-trained “Code Blue” team, immediately responded along with an athletic trainer and others who knew CPR. Someone was told to call 911 while the school’s automated external defibrillator, or AED, was retrieved.

The AED was only about 30 feet away.

The athletic trainer began CPR while Sirmans brought the AED to Claire’s side. The device analyzed Claire’s heart rhythm and determined that a shock was needed. Claire was experiencing ventricular fibrillation, often called V-fib, a dangerous electrical rhythm in which the heart quivers instead of pumping blood effectively.

Sirmans delivered the shock.

About four and a half minutes after collapsing, Claire opened her eyes and began talking. By the time emergency medical responders arrived, she was already sitting up.

Doctors later discovered that Claire had three severe blockages in her heart. She underwent triple bypass surgery and later had an internal defibrillator implanted.

What made the difference?

Claire’s survival wasn’t simply a matter of having an AED hanging on the wall.

People nearby recognized that something was seriously wrong. CPR was started quickly. Someone called 911. The AED could be reached within seconds, and the people responding had practiced what to do.

The school’s Code Blue team reportedly trained several times a year and had practiced emergency drills repeatedly before Claire’s collapse. That preparation mattered when a real emergency suddenly unfolded in a crowded gym.

An AED is designed so that ordinary people can use it. Once the pads are placed on the person’s chest, the device analyzes the heart rhythm and gives spoken instructions. It will only advise a shock when it detects a rhythm that can benefit from defibrillation.

Still, knowing where the AED is located and having some experience using one can save precious time.

That is especially important because cardiac arrest doesn’t wait for an ambulance.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals in the United States each year. Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival. Yet only about 40% of people experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive CPR from a bystander before professional help arrives.

Cardiac arrest can happen to young people too

Claire’s story is also an important reminder that sudden cardiac arrest is not limited to older adults or people who appear unhealthy.

A teenager participating in competitive sports may look perfectly healthy right up until the moment something goes wrong. Undiagnosed heart conditions, electrical abnormalities and other cardiac problems can sometimes remain hidden until a serious event occurs.

That doesn’t mean parents or coaches should expect every dizzy spell to become a cardiac emergency. It does mean that schools and athletic programs should be prepared for the possibility.

When someone suddenly collapses, is unresponsive and is not breathing normally, the response should be immediate: call 911, begin CPR and get an AED.

You don’t need to diagnose the person’s heart rhythm yourself. The AED does that.

An AED only helps if people can find it

Many schools, workplaces, churches, gyms and public buildings now have AEDs. But simply owning one isn’t enough.

People who regularly use the building should know where it is. The AED should be clearly marked and easy to reach, not locked in an office that may be inaccessible during an emergency. Someone should also be responsible for periodically checking the battery, electrode pads and expiration dates.

A good emergency plan can be surprisingly simple. Staff members should know who calls 911, who starts CPR, who retrieves the AED and where emergency responders should enter the building.

Practicing that process occasionally can turn what might otherwise be several minutes of confusion into a coordinated response.

Claire’s rescue provides a powerful example. There was no time for a committee meeting or for someone to search the internet for instructions. People had to act with the equipment and training already available.

Fire extinguishers are placed in buildings because we understand that a fire can become deadly long before firefighters arrive. AEDs and CPR training deserve much the same thinking.

Hopefully, most AEDs will sit unused for years.

But when one is needed, those first few minutes can make all the difference.