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Mayor's Husband Saved by Beach Lifeguards
16 Jun
Summary
- Lifeguards used CPR and an AED to save Mayor Brown's husband.
- The rescue occurred at South Beach after a cardiac arrest event.
- Lifeguards returned to South Beach after a 25-year absence.
South Haven Mayor Annie Brown recently lauded the heroic efforts of lifeguards and emergency services who saved her husband's life. Jeff Fibrandt collapsed from cardiac arrest at South Beach on Tuesday, June 9, after swimming in Lake Michigan. He was speaking with lifeguards when the medical emergency occurred.
Lifeguards swiftly administered CPR and deployed an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to revive Fibrandt. He was subsequently transported to St. Joseph's Corewell Lakeland Hospital. Medical professionals emphasized that Fibrandt's survival was directly attributable to the immediate and skilled intervention of the lifeguards present.
Mayor Brown noted that such rapid responses are critical, as survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are generally low, around 10 percent, without prompt bystander aid. Importantly, lifeguards had only recently returned to South Beach on Memorial Day 2026, marking their first presence there in 25 years, following advocacy for enhanced beach safety.
