Written by Tom Sirmons
Updated November 2026 with current CPR and AED guidance.

Leo Staudacher did not plan on watching the end of the Michigan-Notre Dame football game from a hospital bed.

But after what happened in the second quarter, he was grateful to see the ending at all.

On September 10, 2011, the 69-year-old Bay City, Michigan man was attending the game at Michigan Stadium with his three adult sons when he suddenly collapsed.

His heart had stopped.

A nearby fan started CPR.

That decision helped save his life. CBS News

A Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the Stands

Staudacher had felt a sharp pain in his chest and shoulder before losing consciousness.

People around him quickly realized something was seriously wrong.

One of those spectators was Dr. Marvin Sonne, a dentist who had known CPR for more than 30 years.

Sonne began chest compressions while others called for the stadium medical team. ishn.com

For Staudacher, that immediate action became the first critical link in a successful rescue.

CPR Bought Time Until the AED Arrived

The stadium medical team responded with an automated external defibrillator, or AED.

Staudacher required multiple shocks before being transported to the University of Michigan Health System. He was later treated for a blocked coronary artery with a stent. ishn.com

CPR and defibrillation do different jobs.

CPR helps keep blood moving to the brain and other vital organs.

An AED analyzes the heart rhythm and delivers a shock when appropriate.

Together, they can dramatically improve the chances of survival from certain types of sudden cardiac arrest.

The Bystander Was in the Right Place at the Right Time

Sonne later said it was only the second time in more than 30 years of knowing CPR that he had actually needed to use it.

That is an important lesson.

Most people who learn CPR will never use it every day.

Many may never use it at all.

But the moment it is needed, the person who knows what to do can become extraordinarily important.

Staudacher later credited the fans and their prompt CPR with saving his life. ishn.com

He Still Got to See the End of the Game

After emergency treatment, Staudacher was able to watch part of the fourth quarter from his intensive care unit bed.

Michigan won the game 35-31, scoring the winning touchdown in the final seconds. CBS News

That was not exactly the ending a lifelong Notre Dame fan wanted.

But considering what had happened a few hours earlier, the scoreboard suddenly mattered much less.

Two years later, Staudacher was still doing well. He had lost weight, was walking regularly, and joked that while Notre Dame remained in his DNA, Michigan was now in his heart. CBS News

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Remains Deadly

This story happened in 2011, but the need for bystander CPR has not changed.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals in the United States each year, and roughly 90% are fatal. Immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. www.heart.org

Current 2024 U.S. data show that only about 42% of adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest received bystander CPR, while overall survival to hospital discharge was about 10.5%. professional.heart.org

Those numbers explain why stories like Leo Staudacher’s matter.

What Should You Do If Someone Collapses?

If an adult or teen suddenly becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally or is only gasping:

1. Call 911.
2. Begin CPR.
3. Send someone to get an AED.
4. Use the AED as soon as it arrives.
5. Continue CPR and follow the AED prompts until EMS takes over.

For an untrained bystander helping a suddenly collapsed adult or teen, Hands-Only CPR can be used by pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest. www.heart.org

AEDs Are Designed for Ordinary People

You do not need to diagnose the rhythm yourself.

Once the AED pads are attached, the device analyzes the heart rhythm and tells you whether a shock is advised.

The rescuer simply follows the prompts.

Public AED access matters because the best chance of survival often comes from early CPR combined with early defibrillation.

That was exactly the combination that helped save Leo Staudacher.

CPR Training Turns a Spectator Into a Rescuer

At the beginning of the game, Marvin Sonne was simply another fan in the stadium.

Minutes later, his CPR training became one of the most important things he had ever learned.

That is the unusual power of CPR training.

You may take the class for work.

You may take it because a school or employer requires it.

You may take it because you simply want to know what to do.

But the person who eventually needs those skills may be a stranger sitting a few seats away.

Or someone you love.

Learn CPR and AED Skills Before You Need Them

In-Pulse CPR provides hands-on American Heart Association CPR, BLS, AED, and First Aid training.

👉 View Upcoming CPR Classes

Businesses, schools, healthcare organizations, churches, and other groups can also schedule private training.

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Leo Staudacher’s team lost that night.

But because someone nearby knew CPR and an AED was available, he walked away with something much more important than a football victory.

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Updated November 2026: This article was originally written by Tom Sirmons. It has been revised using contemporary reporting on Leo Staudacher’s 2011 cardiac arrest at Michigan Stadium and current American Heart Association CPR and AED guidance.

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