WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — A Seattle man was honored for his heroic efforts Thursday after he saved the life of a U.S. Marine general last year.
Tim Lalonde was in Washington, D.C. last October to run the Marine Corps Marathon. After the race, he was walking back to his sister's house when he saw a man lying face down on the ground.
Unbeknownst to Lalonde, the man was the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric M. Smith. He was out for his typical 3-mile jog on Oct. 29, just a block away from his house, when he went into sudden cardiac arrest.
Both men spoke about the incident in an exclusive interview with the Today Show's Craig Melvin.
When Lalonde found Smith, he was unresponsive. Lalonde, a CPR instructor, wasted no time and started chest compressions until paramedics arrived, which lasted about 10 minutes. Other members of his family also jumped into action by calling 911.
After Smith was rushed to the hospital, doctors discovered he had been living with a congenital heart defect. Doctors said that if it weren't for Lalonde's quick actions, Smith would not be here today.
"It wasn't as if General Smith got special treatment because he's the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Tim didn't know who he was. The people in the EMS didn't know who he was," Dr. Thomas MacGillivray, a heart surgeon who operated on Smith, told the Today Show. "No one in the hospital knew who he was until he had gone through all of this and in his life was saved."
Earlier that morning, both men were at the Marine Corps Marathon. Tim ran in the race with his sister, and Smith was there to cheer on his wife and hand out medals to other participants.
Friday morning on the Today Show, the two men reunited for the first time since the incident. Watch the full reunion below:
Eric Smith thanked Lalonde profusely, and his wife, Trish Smith, asked him for a hug.
Tim and his sister, Joyce Lolande, were awarded the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Thursday.
When praised for his efforts, Lalonde remained very humble.
"I think there's a lot of people that helped contribute. Very proud of my family. How everyone responded," he said.