Mike Ryan was sitting down for lunch at Bellevue’s the King and I, a Thai restaurant off Main Street on Thursday, April 25, when a man seated behind him suddenly collapsed to the ground.

“You don’t really think about what to do, you just act,” said Ryan, a chaplain for Bellevue’s police and fire departments, who has been a loyal volunteer for nearly seven years.

Noticing that the man was having difficulty breathing, and that his pulse had stopped, he quickly applied CPR, asked restaurant staff to call 9-1-1 and waited by the man’s side until aid arrived minutes later.

“There is no question that the patient’s outcome is a direct result of Mike’s quick action,” said Lt. Troy Donlin of the Bellevue Fire Department.

Before Bellevue, Ryan had served as chaplain in San Francisco for 18 years. He’d watched many a first responder resuscitate individuals, but had never provided medical care himself. As chaplain, his responsibility lay in comforting victims and families.

“We had a divine appointment,” said Ryan of that fateful afternoon.

The two met at the hospital the next day, an opportunity Ryan said he is grateful for.

“It was a privilege to be honest. It was a chance to talk about his world and mine,” said Ryan. “I met his dad and mom, sister and two daughters…When you have the training and the opportunity presents itself, you don’t think about what you should or shouldn’t do. You just act.”

CPR classes are offered through the Bellevue Fire Department by calling 425-452-6885 for individual lessons and 425-452-7673 for group training. Visit the city’s website for more information.