Guilford County Schools employee Mike Lee reunites with coworkers after cardiac arrest

Mike Lee stood with the Guilford County Schools transportation team in Greensboro after surviving a cardiac arrest he suffered shortly after arriving at work on February 9. Coworkers revived him at the scene using cardiopulmonary resuscitation and an automated external defibrillator, and the district honored five transportation employees for their actions.

Two of Lee’s coworkers immediately recognized that something was wrong, jumped into action and started CPR while using an AED, while other coworkers called for help, according to the school district’s account. District officials said the rapid response at the workplace led to his revival before emergency transport to a hospital.

Lee was taken to the hospital, where he spent time in the intensive care unit before being released, district representatives reported. Medical details beyond the ICU stay were not disclosed, and the timeline given in coverage notes Lee’s release from the hospital prior to the recognition event.

Guilford County Schools held a ceremony on a Thursday to honor five transportation employees for their quick actions that saved a co-worker’s life. The school district, along with Guilford County EMS and the Greensboro Fire Department, presented the group with safety awards; the ceremony brought together the transportation staff who responded, Mike Lee, and the first responders who attended.

At the ceremony Lee acknowledged the lifesaving work of his colleagues. “They saved my life. There's no question about that. I'm very grateful, and they deserve everything that they were recognized for today,” he said. Media coverage of the reunion and awards was carried locally by multiple outlets.

Lee plans to retire at the end of February, the school district noted, making the reunion and awards a late-career milestone as well as a public thank-you. The district identified the honored employees as transportation staff but did not provide individual names during the ceremony; the exact date of the Thursday recognition was not specified in the materials released about the event.

Officials from Guilford County EMS and the Greensboro Fire Department joined the district in presenting the safety awards to the five transportation employees whose prompt CPR and AED use helped revive Mike Lee after his Feb. 9 cardiac arrest at work.