South Jersey hairstylist saves woman's life with CPR

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A South Jersey hair stylist is being credited with saving a life after a client experienced a medical emergency.

Dina Izzi, who works at Salon Reign in Washington Township, had been working on another client on May 4 when she saw Carol Stachowicz go into cardiac arrest.

"It was like any other Thursday. I came to work," said Izzi, who said she is CPR certified. "I'm a hairdresser so I never expected for something like that to happen."

Stachowicz said there were no warning signs.

"I felt perfectly fine here, perfectly fine when I came through the door," said Stachowicz, who added it was her first time at the salon.

Her stylist, Amy McMurtrie, had been dyeing her hair.

"She said I'm going to put the timer on, and the next thing I know, I'm in the ER and I looked up at the ceiling," said Stachowicz.

"Me and my client heard a gurgle and I quickly looked in my mirror and saw Carol here and she was slumped over unresponsive," said Izzi.

She immediately started CPR while the salon called 911, and McMurtrie found a way to contact Stachowicz's family on her phone.

"I hit the emergency and then medical ID and then everything shows up and who you need to call. God forbid someone passes out or someone loses a phone, you can get in contact with anyone," explained McMurtrie.

The quick action saved a life.

"I had no second thought about it," said Izzi.

What could have been a tragedy, instead is already bringing positive change. Last weekend, the entire staff became CPR certified, knowing firsthand how vital it is to be ready for an emergency.

"Ever since then, I'm a firm believer everyone should be CPR certified because it was in an instant," said Stachowicz.

"No words that could ever express the gratitude me and my family feel for you," she told Izzi.