By Renee Berg
The Free Press
MANKATO, Minn. — Dianne Smith describes Bob Roelofs as a hero, though he disagrees.
Smith’s husband, Peter Smith, woke up early on Sept. 7 and knew something was wrong. The Mapleton man dialed 911 and told the operator he needed help before unlocking the front door and passing out in his recliner.
A few minutes later, Mapleton police officer Roelofs arrived.
Peter was dead upon arrival from cardiac arrest — he wasn’t breathing and had no pulse, Roelofs said. The officer performed CPR until the Mapleton Fire and Rescue squad arrived and they then worked in tandem to bring back Smith.
“When I arrived, he was sitting in his chair with the phone in his lap,” Roelofs said. “He was in a cardiac arrest state with the dispatcher still on the phone, but he obviously couldn’t talk.”
He was shocked a handful of times with a defibrillator before he came to and then was transported to Mayo Health System in Mankato, where he spent a week recovering.
Dianne was at the couple’s Arizona home when her husband nearly died. She flew back the same day, arriving at the hospital to find him looking “very, very weak and tired. I could tell he was on painkillers and, with the CPR, he had broken ribs. It was very painful for him.”
Peter still attends cardiac rehabilitation three afternoons a week in Mankato. He and Dianne credit Roelofs and the Mapleton Fire and Rescue squad with saving his life.
“We are grateful to live in such a kind and caring community,” Dianne said. “We all need to remember that heroes live and walk among us. Officer Roelofs is at the top of our list of heroes with Mapleton Fire and Rescue following as a close second.”
If Roelofs had arrived any later, it would’ve likely been too late, she said. “If you have no heartbeat for 5 to 7 minutes and you’re 76 years old, that’s probably the end I would say.”
Now, Peter has more time with family, he said. The couple has three kids and eight grandkids.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Roelofs said, adding he’s seen Peter twice since that fateful night. “It’s pretty exciting to see. A lot of times you hope for the best, but you don’t get the best. But this was one of those times when everyone feels good. It’s a team effort to do something like this. A lot of times it doesn’t turn out like this. That’s very, very true.”
In October, Smith gave Roelofs a police flag to thank him for saving his life.
“I’ve been to a few saves,” Roelofs said. “Five or six times we’ve been able to bring somebody back. It doesn’t happen very often. A lot of times it isn’t a successful story.”
It was Peter’s second brush with death. He was shot twice at close range while serving in Vietnam in 1968 and received a Purple Heart for his duty, Dianne said. He spent 14 months in hospitals recovering and underwent many surgeries.
As for his recent save, Peter said he’s thankful to be alive.
“Officer Roelofs saved my life. He’s a wonderful man and a dedicated policeman. I’m just so thankful to him and everybody who supported me.”
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