It was July 24 when Jason Aussin, his dad Tony Aussin, his grandfather Jose Aussin, and a family friend were headed to the Chattahoochee Golf Club in Gainesville for a noon tee time.
While Jason and his grandfather rode side by side in the backseat, they decided they’d share a golf cart for the day. Jose joked with his grandson and asked if he’d be able to take care of him during the round. Jason said, “Don’t worry, Pops, I know CPR, you’re good.” Jose laughed and said he didn’t think that would be necessary.
He was wrong.
The Aussin family is extremely tightknit. They talk on the phone often and take vacations together. Though Jason’s grandparents and uncle live in Chicago, they visit a couple times a year. Jose was the captain of the Mexican national soccer team in his younger years and is still a competitive golfer at 81, so sports are always incorporated into family visits.
Credit: Courtesy of Kathy Aussin
Credit: Courtesy of Kathy Aussin
“It was a hot day, but Pops was taking it easy,” said Jason, 20, a junior on the Piedmont University soccer team in Demorest. “He’d drive to each hole, hit his ball, and sit back down.”
The foursome was on their 6th hole of the round, a Par 4. Jose gave his grandson a few tips as he used his 3 wood, which resulted in Jason hitting the best shot of his life with that club. All four men chipped their balls to the green, then Jose called out to his son.
“He said his name in a kind of surprised way, kind of muffled,” recalled Jason. “Then he said it again and started falling. We thought he might be messing around, but when he sat down, his head went limp, then hit the ground.”
The men rushed over to Jose, whose breathing was erratic. They thought maybe he was having a heat stroke. They asked a cart girl to call 911, then poured water on Jose’s head. That’s when he stopped breathing.
“I checked his pulse and breathing and there was nothing,” said Jason. “I told my dad I had to start CPR. He said, ‘You’re the one who is certified, I trust you.’”
For the past three years, Jason has worked as a lifeguard at the Wills Park Pool in Alpharetta. That is where he got certified for CPR, which he just renewed this summer, as is required to do every two years.
“It was fresh in my brain, thank God,” said Jason, who had never had to administer CPR before.
Jason began compressions, 30 at a time, on his grandfather’s chest, then titled his head back so air could get into his lungs. He instructed his father to give two breaths.
“I’ve never seen anyone, even CPR certified, give better breaths,” said Jason. “I don’t know if it was adrenaline or what, but my dad killed it.”
On the third round of compressions, there was the indistinguishable sound of ribs snapping, which is not uncommon during CPR. The cart girl asked if there was anything else she could do and Jason requested an AED, an automated external defibrillator.
“That device is incredible,” said Aussin. “It literally tells you what to do, it’s dummy proof. I continued doing CPR until the AED said it was ready. We pulled up his shirt, put the pads on and hit the button. It analyzed his heartbeat for 15 seconds, then the shock was ready. We stood clear, hit the shock, and my grandpa, still unconscious and purple, launched up in the air.”
Jason and Tony continued CPR and used the AED once more until EMS arrived. By the time Jose was moved to the ambulance, he had a pulse and was breathing.
The EMS and firemen shook Jason’s hand and said he was the reason his grandfather was alive.
“That meant a lot to me, but really, I don’t think I could have done it without my dad,” said Jason.
Tony dismissed the credit and said his son is the hero. He describes Jason as a very measured person.
“He doesn’t panic or choke under pressure, and that’s how he was on the golf course that day,” said Tony. “He was calm and collected, as always. I’m so proud. Every time I see him, I hug him and tell him he saved Grandpa’s life.”
When Jose woke in the hospital days later, he remembered nothing. He was emotional when he learned what his grandson had done. Over the following days, he complained about chest pain. Jason told him it was because he broke his ribs doing CPR. Without missing a beat, Jose playfully raised a fist at his grandson.
“We told him he was winning the round before everything happened and he said, ‘of course I was winning’,” said Jason, laughing. “I told him, ‘You know what this means, right? I better be getting one hell of a birthday present.’”
Jose, who was hospitalized for weeks after the incident, will return to Chicago soon and Jason is back on campus, busy with school and sports, and spreading the word about the importance of CPR.
“I want to share my story and encourage people to get certified,” said Jason. “Trust me, you just never know when you may need it. That was one hell of a golf round.”
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