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'Felt like I made a real difference': Off-duty ICU staff performs CPR alone for 14 minutes, saves collapsed man
The man regained his pulse after two defibrillation shocks.
Off-duty healthcare professional Francis Leonard Dacera Facelo told AsiaOne the locksmith did not suffer any brain injury from the cardiac arrest.
PHOTO: Francis Leonard Dacera Facelo
PUBLISHED ONDecember 02, 2025 12:06 AMBYLim Keweil
Midway through unlocking the room door of an apartment at People's Park Complex, a locksmith suddenly stopped his work and laid down on the floor.
The man did not respond when his client, off-duty healthcare professional Francis Leonard Dacera Facelo, asked if he was okay.
"It felt strange because he was still conscious and looking at me... Initially, I thought it might be a stroke, he was awake but unable to speak," the 30-year-old Singapore permanent resident told AsiaOne.
Then, the locksmith stopped breathing.
Francis, a respiratory therapist working in an intensive care unit of a public hospital, quickly began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the collapsed man.
Admitting that he had been "extremely stressed and panicked" upon realising that the man had gone into cardiac arrest, Francis worried if he would be held responsible for the latter's condition.
"But I had to push all those thoughts aside. He was under my care at that moment, and his life depended entirely on what I did," he said.
In a moment of panic, Francis misdialed the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) emergency hotline. He then called the police, who contacted the SCDF.
A roommate sleeping in the flat, who was woken by Francis' shout for help, also went searching for an automated external defibrillator (AED) in the building.
For some 14 minutes, the ICU worker performed CPR alone on the locksmith before his roommate returned and briefly assisted in the rescue effort. Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics arrived shortly after.
The man was successfully resuscitated after two defibrillation shocks were delivered, he added.
Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the SCDF confirmed it received a call for assistance at 1 Park Road at about 6.20pm on Nov 27. A person was taken to Singapore General Hospital.
'Deeply emotional'
Francis is part of the code blue team at his hospital responding to medical emergencies. He is responsible for managing a person's airway and breathing, and occasionally performs CPR.He told AsiaOne that performing CPR outside of the controlled environment of a hospital comes with challenges.
For instance, a code blue team can respond immediately to cases of cardiac arrest, and there are sufficient people to apply CPR, administer medications, and manage the resuscitation. Defibrillators are also nearby and ready for use.
"Outside the hospital, none of these advantages exist," noted Francis.
"You rely only on manual CPR and whether an AED is available nearby. You also have to wait for emergency responders to arrive, which can take time."
Reflecting on the incident, Francis said he felt "incredibly good and deeply emotional" to have saved the locksmith.
"I save lives in the hospital often, but experiencing something like this outside of work made me feel even more fulfilled.
"I felt like I made a real difference — that I was able to save someone's life with just my skills and quick action."
Francis said he saw the locksmith recovering in hospital on Monday (Dec 1) morning, adding that the man's breathing tube had been removed and he did not suffer any brain injury.
The healthcare professional also hopes that more people will learn CPR, stressing that early CPR and defibrillation are critical for survival.
"Anyone can be a hero during moments like this and knowing what to do can truly save a life," he said.
