AED placed in Hastings bar in honor of slain law clerk helps save life

A man’s life was saved at a Hastings, Minnesota, bar, thanks to an off-duty paramedic and an automatic external defibrillator.

Lucas Kanoll is a fifth-generation firefighter and paramedic. He wasn’t working on Sept. 25 when he walked into Dugarel’s Bar and Grill. But his life-saving instincts kicked in, just the same.

“I heard some people screaming. I saw them laying him down,” said Kanoll.

A customer had collapsed and gone into cardiac arrest. Knowing every second counts, Kanoll ran to him, began CPR and then asked a server to grab the AED, which advised a shock.

“I started CPR again after that shock, and he started to come around, so I knew I had a pulse back,” said Kanoll.

The man survived and was taken to the hospital where he had two stents put in his heart. Without Kanoll and without the defibrillator, the man’s outcome could have been much different.

There’s a story about why the AED was at Dugarel’s in the first place. And it begins with a grieving father looking to honor his son’s memory.

“Anyone who has lost a child, as I have learned, it really doesn’t go away,” said Chris Passauer.

In 2016, Passauer’s son Chase was shot and killed inside the St. Paul law office he was working in. To cope with the tragic loss, Passauer created a foundation in his son’s name. As part of it, Passauer got the idea to place AEDs in businesses across Hastings.

With help from the fire department, one of the first to get one was Dugarel’s, because it takes a little longer for paramedics to get there.

“So, for the individual that needed it, I was really glad it was here. Timing is everything with Lucas walking in the door,” said Passauer.

The man who survived happens to be a friend of Hastings Fire Marshal Al Storlie.

“He was very thankful for Lucas, wants to meet Lucas. One he starts getting back on his feet he’s going to come to the station and meet Lucas and thank him for what he did,” said Storlie.

In many ways, it’s a full-circle moment. A young life taken far too soon, and another saved because of his memory.

“He’s now able to keep going and live his life with his family. It’s a great feeling,” said Kanoll.

The Hastings Fire Relief Association and the Allina Heart Safe program also helped with the AED program. They hope to have four more in Hastings by the end of the year. If you’d like to donate, you can click here.