Author: Mike Matzinger
A man visiting Mackinac Island is alive today thanks to the quick actions of a nurse, a Scout, and a scout leader who jumped into action during a terrifying moment near Fort Mackinac. The tourist collapsed unexpectedly, and an off-duty registered nurse who happened to be nearby immediately began performing CPR. Among those who witnessed the scene was 16-year-old Life Scout Kenny Recor, a member of the Scouting America Mackinac Island Honor Guard. Despite struggling with asthma and the island’s uphill terrain, Kenny ran to retrieve an AED (automated external defibrillator). “I was breathing heavily, but it didn’t feel like I was getting oxygen to my lungs,” he said. “But someone was actively dying, and I knew I had to act.”
Kenny returned with the AED and handed it to his scout leader, who used it to help revive the man. Thanks to their swift, coordinated response—immediate CPR by the nurse, the AED retrieved by Kenny, and its use by the trained leader—the man was resuscitated before paramedics arrived.
Each summer, select Scouts are chosen to serve as members of the Mackinac Island Honor Guard. These Scouts stay on the island and perform important duties such as raising and lowering flags across the island, assisting at Fort Mackinac, guiding visitors, participating in parades and ceremonies, and proudly representing the values of Scouting through service and discipline.
This life-saving event is a powerful reminder of how vital CPR training and AED access can be.
