Eric Wahlund - Life Link III

Because of Life Link III, I’m Still Here

For Eric Wahlund, June 4, 2024, started off like any other workday. As a building maintenance technician in Delano, Minnesota, Eric spent the morning on the roof handling routine tasks. Nothing felt out of the ordinary. But just 10 minutes later, everything changed. Sitting at his desk to close out a work order, Eric suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. His vision dimmed, and the world around him started closing in.

What happened next is something Eric still doesn’t remember, but it changed his life forever. In the middle of a conversation with his boss, he went completely silent. His coworkers noticed right away. Something was wrong. They pulled him from his chair and immediately began chest compressions. Eric had gone into sudden cardiac arrest with no warning and no known cause. The situation was critical.

Life Link III was dispatched and arrived quickly on scene. Flight crew members Les, Mike, and Alex sprang into action. Using the Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System (LUCAS) device to continue high-quality chest compressions, they loaded Eric into the helicopter. During the flight, the crew successfully revived him, regaining a heartbeat after 54 minutes without one. He was flown to M Health Fairview, where he woke up three days later, with no memory of the event, but also, miraculously, no brain damage and no lasting deficits.

“I firmly believe that the care I received, from my coworkers, the Delano Fire Department, Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Life Link III, and the hospital, is the reason I’m still here,” Eric said. “The doctors can’t explain why my heart stopped. But I know why I survived.”

For Eric’s wife Katie and 12-year-old son Devin, the outcome is everything. “Because of them, Katie isn’t a single mom. Devin still has his dad. My parents still have their son. My sister still has her brother. My friends still have their buddy.” The ripple effect of that day touches everyone who loves him, and Eric knows just how close it all came to a different ending. “If it had happened 10 minutes later, I would’ve been driving home. I might not be here, and I might’ve hurt someone else too.”

Since that day, Eric has stayed connected with the first responders and his Life Link III flight crew. He reunited with them in January and again in April when he visited the base in Anoka with his family. “Everyone we met was welcoming, kind, and professional,” he shared. “It was an unforgettable experience,” he added.

To his flight crew, Les, Mike, and Alex, Eric has just two words: thank you. “There’s not much more you can say to someone who saved your life. I can never repay them, but I can live my life to the fullest and be thankful for every day I have. Life Link III gave me that chance.”