Santa Clara High School is mourning the loss this week of a school nurse who likely helped save the life of the school's softball coach suffering from a heart attack just moments before collapsing herself.
She later died.
On Tuesday, 59-year-old Eileen Bowden gave John Rahbar CPR minutes after he collapsed with no pulse while collecting foul balls following a team practice.
Bowden's actions kept Rahbar alive until paramedics arrived, but then Bowden collapsed.
"After that, Ms. Bowden kind of got up, in just a brief moment, she fell down and seemed to need medical assistance," said Santa Clara School District spokeswoman Tabitha Kappler-Hurley. "So she was taken to Valley Medical Center and unfortunately died en route."
Bowden rotated between five schools in the district, spending one day a week on each campus. She was also a police officer with the Santa Clara Police Department. Her death stunned students.
"My first question was, like, 'What's happening? Is everyone OK?' At that point, we didn't know a life had been lost," says Santa Clara High School freshman Michaela Hudson. "So, when we came back to school and we heard about the nurse whose life had been lost, everybody was kind of shocked, because we were there."
Bowden lived in Half Moon Bay and leaves behind a 12-year-old daughter who she adopted in China. Officials say Bowden was extremely dedicated to the school community.
Rahbar's wife said he suffered a heart attack. He should be released from the hospital in a few days. Rahbar's wife expressed deep gratitude to the nurse for her actions and sympathy towards her family. She said she believes her husband might not have survived the heart attack if not for Bowden's aid.
At this time, it is not clear what caused Eileen Bowden's death.
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