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N.J. Gym Teacher Saves Fallen Teen's Life

PLAINSBORO, N.J. (CBS 2) -- A teenager who had a heart attack during gym class was recovering Wednesday night after his teacher helped save his life.

CBS 2's Cindy Hsu spoke with the hero gym teacher.

"I got over top of him and started my compressions," Trevor Warner said.

For the first time in his life Warner performed CPR when one of his students collapsed during class outside West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North.

"We come out this door every day. We jog across this parking lot," Warner said.

After the quarter-mile jog the 15-year-old student, who has a congenital heart issue, went into cardiac arrest in a field. Warner said the boy's face was turning blue so he started CPR.

"I'm saying 'don't leave me, stay with me. It's not your time. Keep going, keep going.' I just kept talking to him," Warner said.

"I didn't want him to hear my voice as the last voice that he heard. I wanted to do everything I could to sustain his life. You're not supposed to die at 15."

Warner performed CPR for about four minutes, but said it felt like an eternity.

"The sound of the ambulance … that was the greatest sound I can ever remember hearing," he said.

Warner had been certified in CPR more than 20 years ago and is re-certified every two years, which is required for all physical education teachers and coaches in New Jersey. But Warner said it is training everyone should have.

"It might be somebody at the workplace. It may be somebody at the mall, any walk of life. Somebody may require your help and it would be a shame if somebody were there and didn't know what to do," Warner said.

Warner said that evening he hugged his kids even harder and is grateful all those years of CPR training paid off.

While the student is not being identified, Warner said he's doing well. He had a pacemaker installed Tuesday and the hope is that he'll be back here at school in the next two weeks.

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