A neighbor’s chest compressions helped sustain Mark Attles after he collapsed in his front yard on the 15400 block of Griggs Street, near the Lodge Freeway and Wyoming Avenue. The 41-year-old had been talking with a friend around 8:45 p.m. on August 4 when his heart stopped.
Neighbors called 911, and Mouchettee Muhammad began chest compressions while Attles lay unresponsive. When Muhammad tired, another neighbor took over, continuing CPR until emergency crews arrived, according to Metro Detroit News.
Bystander CPR Bridged the Wait for Firefighters
Attles was still unresponsive, not breathing and without a pulse when firefighters reached him, the outlet reported. Engine 30 arrived three minutes and eight seconds after dispatch; Medic 17, staffed by Jacob Kastruba and Demoines Whitney, followed two minutes later. Firefighters Damien Falcon and David Tarver continued CPR and used a defibrillator at the scene.
The crews restored Attles’ heartbeat, and he was alert before being taken to Sinai-Grace Hospital, according to the report. He later had surgery to implant a defibrillator and said he would not be alive without the people who helped him.
An Undetected Heart Condition
Attles had a history of heart failure but did not know he had blockages in his heart, the outlet reported. He was said to be doing well after his recovery and surgery. The Detroit Fire Department later honored the neighbors and emergency crews with medals; Engine 30 and Medic 17 also received a commissioner unit commendation.
Executive Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms credited the neighbors’ quick actions during the recognition, according to the report. A DMC doctor explained that chest compressions help keep blood circulating until emergency crews can take over.
How Often Bystanders Perform CPR
According to the American Red Cross, citing the CARES 2025 Annual Report, 42.5% of patients received bystander CPR. That figure describes how often CPR was given; it is not a Michigan-specific comparison of survival with and without bystander CPR.
Not the First Time Bystanders Have Stepped In
Attles’ rescue is one example of bystanders stepping in during a cardiac emergency. During the Detroit Free Press Marathon, Detroit police officers Dario Sharp and Troy Wesley performed CPR on a 26-year-old runner who suffered cardiac arrest at Kirby and Cass, while a good Samaritan also helped, according to FOX 2 Detroit. The runner was later recovering at Henry Ford Hospital. Police Chief James White praised the officers’ response, including their efforts to help and to clear traffic for EMS.
Detroit has invested heavily in building a city of bystanders ready to respond to exactly this kind of emergency. Detroit became the largest HEARTSafe community in the country in 2024, and more than 130,000 people are CPR-trained each year, according to a flyer from City of Detroit. The Detroit Fire Department offers free Hands-Only CPR classes twice a week at the Walter P. Harris Regional Training Center, with sessions lasting about 45 minutes and requiring no medical experience; residents can register through the city's HEARTSafe Community webpage.
