'Luke had no pulse': Boy, 13, thanks firefighters, paramedics who saved him

Luke Pignatelli got to thank the firefighters and paramedics who saved his life on Tuesday, a month and a half after the 13-year-old's heart stopped while he was in school.

"Thank you. I'm kind of speechless ... they're really good people," he said at a special ceremony held at Central York Fire Services Station 4-4 in Aurora. The team that saved him was there, as was Luke's mother, father, sister and brother.

Luke says he doesn't remember too much about his brush with death on Sept. 15 while in gym class at St. Maximillian Kolbe Catholic High School in Aurora.

A team of Central York Fire Services firefighters was at the right place at the right time, just down the street at Longo's getting lunch. They got the call at 12:09 and within two minutes they were at the school.

"When I walked into the gym, Luke was laying on the floor, there was a teacher with him and I remember him yelling over to us that Luke had no pulse," firefighter Lucas Chew told CBC News.

Chew says he confirmed the teen had no vital signs and opened up the defibrillator, while another firefighter started compressions. Using the machine, the firefighter administered a shock 

From the time they arrived, it didn't take long to resuscitate him, Chew says.

"Within a minute and a half we were able to get a pulse," he said.

"They had been able to restart his heart and it just ... there's no words. You're so grateful" said Luke's mother, Nicole Pignatelli.

The team at the station was overjoyed to see Luke. 

"It's fabulous, absolutely fabulous, very exciting," said acting captain Andre Bourrie.

He says it's not often that the team gets to find out the outcome of a call.

"it's very emotional," said Paul McPhail, the paramedic platoon leader with York Region Paramedic Services. 

"It's great to see Luke. He's up and about, talking and he's just happy to be here. It's incredible."

Lucas Chew says in his eight years of being a firefighter, this was the first time that a patient who recovered came back to thank him.

"it's very humbling ... I'm happy to see him."

Luke's mother says they're still waiting for a diagnosis for what caused her son to go into cardiac arrest.

She says Luke had no health concerns before he collpased.

He has since had surgery and now has an internal defibrillator. 

"I'm doing pretty good now. Just taking it slow," he said.