Tampa fire fighters save officer’s life after cardiac arrest

The Tampa Bay Lightning honored this heroic effort with a ceremonial puck drop during their First Responder Night, calling it ‘Heroes Helping Heroes.’

February 3 • 2025

A routine call turned into a life-or-death emergency for Tampa Police Department (TPD) Officer Eric Book on Christmas Eve.  

Book suffered a heart attack while responding to a domestic incident, but thanks to the swift actions of his fellow officers and Tampa, FL Local 754 members from Station 15, including Captain Carlos Mungaray, Lieutenant Thomas Velar, Driver Engineer John O’Donnell, and Fire Fighters Alexander Diamond and Michael Sledd, the crew arrived on the scene and worked in conjunction with TPD officers to save his life. 

Velar was one of the first responders on the scene.  

“We could see the helicopters flying over and a sea of blue lights. I’ve been doing this job long enough to know that the more blue lights on the scene, the more serious the call is. We prepped for the worst,” he said in a video shared by the Tampa Bay Lightning, which recently honored the first responders who helped Book. 

While Book’s colleagues administered immediate aid, paramedics took over, delivering additional shocks and advanced life-saving measures before transporting him to Tampa General Hospital, where he has since recovered. 

“Our crew has saved a lot of lives, and it’s honestly pretty cool to work with the same team all the time,” said O’Donnell.” We’ve all got each other’s backs, and we know how to work together seamlessly—it’s like a well-oiled machine.” 

“Our crew has saved a lot of lives, and it’s honestly pretty cool to work with the same team all the time. We’ve all got each other’s backs, and we know how to work together seamlessly—it’s like a well-oiled machine.” 

local 754 Driver Engineer John O’Donnell

Book thanked all those who saved his life. “I just remember Tampa Fire Rescue looking at me and saying, ‘Lay down, you just suffered a massive heart attack.’ I couldn’t thank them enough for saving my life. This is my second chance,” he said in the video

The Lightning held a puck drop before their game against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 16. While Local 754 members are grateful for the recognition, for them, saving lives is far more than just a job. “We do it because we love helping people, and we just appreciate being able to help people reconnect with their families,” said O’Donnell. 

“This heroic effort is a testament to the dedication and skill of Tampa’s first responders,” said Local 754 President Nick Stocco. “The seamless collaboration between Tampa Fire Rescue and the Tampa Police Department demonstrates the strength of our community and the commitment we share to saving lives. I couldn’t be prouder of our members at Station 15 for their quick thinking and bravery in the face of a life-or-death situation.”