TOP PHOTO: It was a frantic time last September when Ben Braden went down while working in his front yard. Quick action by his wife Connie and others helped save his life.

This right about where Ben Braden was last September when he collapsed as he was weedeating around his hedges.

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – “All I know is that I grabbed the weed eater and went boom. I don’t remember a thing after that,” said Ben Braden. It was a Sunday morning, a little after 10am, last Sept. 12, to be exact, when Braden collapsed soon after he fired up his big Stihl weed eater.

“I heard the weed eater fire up and then all of a sudden it was off. Ben’s always playing jokes, and I look out, and he’s laying in the front yard. I run out to check on him thinking all along he’s going to grab me and scare me. But he wasn’t moving,” said Connie Braden, Ben’s wife.

Jeremy, the neighbor across the street on Nevada Avenue, ran over and started CPR. He yelled to call 911, and as Connie called them, another friend, also certified in CPR, came from up the street and helped.

Ben Braden is back to mowing and weed eating. “It’s not like before; not at that pace. We take care of the yard work together now days,” said Connie Braden.

“Everybody then came here and in a hurry. It took no time for the first responders to get here,” said Connie.

“It was like any other Sunday morning. We’d been out shopping and drove back home and were just loafing. Then Ben went out to trim around the hedges, and the rest is history,” said Connie.

After working six days a week for 28 years, life is not quite as fast paced as before Sept. 12 for Ben. After being airlifted to a Knoxville hospital, he spent a good amount of time in the hospital and is mostly home these days.

The one thing Ben does remember is that he came through thanks to those who helped. “Words can’t express my appreciation for everyone who helped me; especially my La Follette Fire Fighters,” said Ben. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/17/2022-6AM)

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