When iconic local guitarist had heart attack after concert, volunteers sprang into action

Eddie Hilfiker of Who Dats thankful for life-saving actions

Photos by Tom Rivers: Eddie Hilfiker, guitarist for the Who Dats, attended Saturday’s awards banquet for the Clarendon and Murray fire companies and districts to thank the responders who saved his life on Feb. 8 after he had a heart attack.

CLARENDON – Eddie Hilfiker was packing up his guitars on Feb. 8, 2025 after a three-hour concert at the Clarendon Rec Hall with the Who Dats.

Hulfiker, 74, has played with the popular local band for the past 20 years. The Holley resident has been playing music since he was 13.

John Borello, left, and Ed Hilfiker, guitarists with The Who Dats, perform at the Orleans County 4-H Fair in this photo from July 2015. Hilfiker is an iconic figure locally with the band and is known for his hats while playing with the band.

A cold wintry night made for a smaller-than-expected crowd at the rec hall for a steak dinner and concert. The Who Dats usually bring in lots of people for their concerts.

Hilfiker was the last one in the rec hall’s main room. Everyone else was gone.

There were six people back in the bar, cleaning up.

One of them walked down the hallway to the main room and saw Hilfiker on the floor and unresponsive. The entire group was called and they performed CPR and shocked Hilfiker’s heart with an AED. They called for more help from Mercy Ambulance and other firefighters.

Hilfiker’s heart started beating and he would survive. He was talking with medics as they took him out of the rec hall and to Strong Memorial Hospital.

He would have quadruple bypass surgery and is taking medication for his heart. Hilfiker said he expects to be back performing with the Who Dats soon. He may use a stool while he plays the guitar instead of standing for the entire three to four hours like most of their concerts.

Hilfiker on Saturday attended the annual banquet for the Murray and Clarendon fire companies and districts. Clarendon Fire Chief Bob Freida and Murray Fire Chief Rick Cary presented “Lifesaving” awards to 12 people for their quick response that night. The awards credit the responders for their “fast thinking and swift, professional action on Feb. 8, 2025 leading to the saving another human life.”

The responders hadn’t trained together before as a unit, yet they did everything with precision to save Hilfiker, Freida said.

“The teamwork was amazing,” he said.

The following were recognized on Saturday during a banquet at the Clarendon rec hall for life-saving actions on Feb. 8. pictured from left, in front, include Mercy medic Mike Senebeck, Mercy paramedic Brittani Mack, Murray firefighter Jenna Amering, Murray firefighter Dan Schiavone, Clarendon past chief Jim DeYoung, Murray firefighter Colton Tuttle, East Pembroke firefighter Joey Gibson (grandson of DeYoung), Clarendon Fire Chief Robert Freida, and Murray Deputy Chief Peter Hendrickson. In back include: Mercy medic James Fisher, Murray Assistant Chief Kevin Dann, Murray Town Supervisor Gerald Rightmyer, Rochester police officer Liza Dann, Clarendon Town Councilman Chris Caulfield and Fran Gaylord, past chief for Murray.

Hilfiker attended the banquet on Saturday and thanked the responders for being there for him.

“Without them I’d be dead,” Hilfiker said at the Clarendon Rec Hall, where about 225 people attended the annual banquet. “I’m not ready to leave the grandchildren.”

Six people were honored with a “Lifesaving Award” for providing the initial response for Hilfiker. That included 13 minutes of CPR and shocks from an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). That device delivers an electric shock to help restore a normal heartbeat in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.

The six on scene who initially assisted Hilfiker include Murray Deputy Chief Peter Hendrickson, Murray Assistant Chief Kevin Dann, Clarendon Chief Robert Freida, Clarendon Town Councilman Chris Caulfield, Murray Town Supervisor Gerald Rightmyer, and Rochester police officer Liza Dann.

These nine people jumped into action when they arrived on scene to help: Jim DeYoung, past chief from Clarendon; East Pembroke firefighter Joey Gibson, a grandson of DeYoung; from the Murray joint fire district – past chief Fran Gaylord, firefighter Dan Schiavone, firefighter Jenna Amering, and firefighter Colton Tuttle; Mercy paramedic Brittani Mack, Mercy medic James Fisher and Mercy medic Mike Senebeck.

This group is recognized with a “Lifesaving Award” on Saturday. From left include Joey Gibson, Jim DeYoung, Eddie Hilfiker, Bob Freida, Gerry Rightmyer, Chris Caulfield, James Fisher and Mike Senebeck.