Pennsylvania EMT Dies Trying to Save Woman's Life

A Pennsylvania woman working as an EMT died while trying to save another woman’s life.

EMS1.com, an online resource for the EMS community, reported 22-year-old Samantha Agins, of Tobyhanna, was working at the New Jersey Jaycee Camp Saturday when a woman at the camp went into cardiac arrest.

The New Jersey Jaycee Camp is a summer camp for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Despite Agins’ best efforts, the woman died.

Over the course of several hours after she assisted the woman, Agins suffered a series of strokes, including a major one. Agins’ mother took her to Pocono Medical Center.

A doctor told Agins' mother that an artery was dissected when she performed the CPR, EMS1.com reported.  As a result, she suffered a stroke on her brain stem, which in turn killed all the nerves to part of her body.

Agins was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia where she was placed on life support. She passed away Tuesday evening.

Her mother Paula Agins told the Pocono Record the 4.0 student at East Stroudsburg University wanted to eventually become a physician's assistant.

A New Jersey EMT group will play bagpipes at her funeral, the Pocono Record reported.

“It’s been very overwhelming,” Paula Agins told the newspaper of the support the family has received. “It speaks to the testimonial of just what kind of kid she was.”

A memorial scholarship for students at Pocono Mountain East High School, where Agins attended, is being set up. To donate, you can send checks to:

ESSA Bank
200 Palmer Street
Stroudsburg, Pa. 18360
c/o Samantha C. Agins Memorial Scholarship

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