Dead soldier’s mom calls for defibrillators on base

Pvt. Geoffrey Wiedel, 20, of Campbell, Calif., collapsed on the morning of June 13 while his unit was running in a remote section of the base. It took about 10 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, and the crew attempted to resuscitate Wiedel on the way to the hospital, where he died about an hour later.

The autopsy found that Wiedel died of sudden cardiac arrest, but the cause remains unknown.

His mother, Jennifer Wiedel of San Jose, Calif., said she doesn’t blame the Army or medical staff for her son’s death, but has called for medical personnel and defribillators to be nearby whenever physical training is being conducted.

“He wasn’t in pain, I think,” she said. “But I don’t know how a perfectly normal, healthy and strong young man can have nothing wrong with him and then drop dead.”

Federal law passed in 2000 has placed the devices, also called automated external defibrillators or AEDs, in all federal buildings, but not all buildings on most military bases, or Fort Campbell, have them.

The civilian ambulances that serve emergency calls on base carry them, including the vehicle that responded to treat Wiedel. While crews attempted to resuscitate him, medical records do not indicate whether an AED was used.

Lt. Col. Mike Place, deputy commander of clinical services for the base hospital, said he agrees with Wiedel’s assertion that having more AEDs could help save lives.

“The sooner you can shock someone out of an abnormal (heart) rhythm the better. If somebody is having a heart attack, those first few minutes can save somebody’s life.” Place said. “She is absolutely right on the mark to putting (AEDs) in public places and raising awareness for that.”

Place said there are no current plans to place medics on duty with AEDs during all physical training, but that base officials would consider it.