February 10 was shaping up to be a rather routine night of lifeguarding at the Hendersonville YMCA for Katelyn Williams.

And then, in the blink of an eye, any semblance of normalcy dissipated for the 18-year-old Liberty Creek High School senior.

Katelyn heard a cry for help from the men’s locker room – an urgent, frantic one. Inside lay Billy Austin, 64. The Hendersonville singer/songwriter was lifeless. Turning blue. Foaming at the mouth.

Not a second could be spared to resuscitate Billy. As a student in Liberty Creek’s health science classes, Katelyn was trained for this type of chaotic emergency situation.

She sprang into action, aided by two fellow YMCA members who were both registered nurses at Tristar Hendersonville Medical Center.

“I didn’t know how long he had been laying on the ground, so I immediately started worrying that he could have brain damage,” Katelyn says. “I knew we had to act fast. I tried as best I could to stay calm, be assertive, and apply everything I’d learned to help save Billy.”

After 10 minutes of CPR and two shocks from the Y’s automated external defibrillator (AED), the team led by Katelyn was able to get a pulse restored for Billy. He had suffered a heart attack brought on by overexertion and, unbeknownst to him at the time, a case of pneumonia.

Even after EMTs came and transported Billy to TriStar Hendersonville, Katelyn couldn’t shake the traumatic experience. Yes, she was aware that she was being lauded for her life-saving efforts, but until she knew Billy’s condition had improved there would be no peace of mind.

“I lost my father when I was 10,” Katelyn says. “I was experiencing a different kind of grief with Billy because I didn’t know at the time how things would turn out.”

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Billy has been nursed back to health and learned that, according to his doctors, he has “little to no damage or scarring” on his heart.

“It’s a true miracle,” he says with emotion. “Katelyn kept me alive, and I’ll never be able to repay her enough for that. I have a biological daughter who I love as much as you can love a human being, and now I consider Katelyn a second daughter. She’s family for life.”

Echoes Katelyn, “Just to have the opportunity to give someone a second chance at life is overwhelming. I’m thankful that God put me in that position with Billy. We have a bond that will go on forever. I go visit him all the time. He’s one of the most gracious, giving people you’ll ever meet.”

A life saved, a forever bond formed. Positivity personified.