Airport CPR Kiosk Turns College Student Into A Lifesaver

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The next time you're stuck at the airport for a layover you may be able to teach yourself CPR.

As CBS2's Cindy Hsu explained, more airports are now installing kiosks that instruct passengers on how to do the lifesaving skill.

Travelers in several cities can now teach themselves CPR at an airport kiosk. That's how college senior Matt Lickenbrock learned the skill last year. He put down his phone during a layover and practiced at the kiosk until he got a perfect score.

"I never though I'd need to use the CPR that I learned, no one ever really doesn't, but I'm really glad I knew it," he said.

Two days later fellow student Sean Ferguson was hit by lightning at the University of Dayton.

"My heart stopped. I wasn't breathing. Matt said he could feel the burns, smell the burns, and it was not a situation that was looking good," Ferguson said.

Lickenbrock saw Ferguson on the ground and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

More than 20 percent of cardiac arrests occur in public places and experts said the chances of survival are much higher if a bystander administers CPR before medics arrive.

"Most people are afraid to do CPR, but it's very easy. You're going to put those hands on the center of the chest, push hard and fast," Danielle Cortes DeVito, Paramedic and Spokesperson for the American Heart Association said.

The machine uses a video and mannequin to teach chest compression.

After months of grueling rehab Ferguson has recovered and graduated. He and Lickenbrock hope their story inspires others.

"I'm a regular guy and I was able to learn these in 10 minutes and use them to save a life. Anyone else can do the same thing," Lickenbrock said.

The kiosks haven't come to New York yet, but you may find them at O'Hare, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Washington, and Dallas.