TUCSON, Ariz. (Feb. 20, 2026) -- A Banner – University Medicine athletic trainer is proving that CPR training and AED access can save a life with immediate action.
Natosha Booth is the associate athletic trainer assigned to Walden Grove High School as part of Banner – University Medicine’s partnership with the Sahuarita Unified School District. Her rapid response helped save 76-year-old soccer referee Monseis Gonzales.
On the evening of Jan. 5, about 10 minutes into the first half of a soccer game, Gonzales collapsed on the field. He was unresponsive and had no pulse. His heart had stopped.
“I already knew what was happening,” Booth said. “Everyone knew exactly what to do because we practice it.”
She began CPR with a school administrator and community member while her sports medicine student retrieved an automated external defibrillator, or AED, from the sideline.
One shock was delivered and within 45 seconds, Gonzales regained consciousness.
“I wasn’t expecting him to come back,” said Booth. “You don’t hear those stories very often.”
Booth stayed with Gonzales until Sahuarita Fire Department crews arrived. Her immediate intervention was critical to Gonzales’ survival.
His daughter, Arianna Martinez, is thankful for the live-saving work of strangers.
“Everything that he needed was there and it was executed. And I have my dad today because of it,” Martinez said.
Gonzales underwent additional treatment at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. He is recovering at home with family.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 417,000 cardiac arrest deaths occur each year in the United States. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions, causing the heart to stop beating properly. Immediate CPR and use of an AED can significantly increase the chance of survival.
Booth had previously advocated for additional AEDs on campus and regularly leads emergency action plan drills at the school. Athletic trainers have extensive hands-on emergency response training and play a critical role in community safety.
Booth was recognized at a school board meeting, where the school district honored Booth and Sahuarita Fire for their heroic efforts.
She was also honored at the American Heart Association’s Southern Arizona Heart Ball, where organizers cited her rapid response.
About Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and South
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and Banner – University Medical Center South are part of Banner – University Medicine, a premier academic medical network. These institutions are academic medical centers for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. Included on the two campuses are Diamond Children's Medical Center and many specialty clinics. The two academic medical centers are part of Arizona-based Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/universitytucson or bannerhealth.com/universitysouth.
For further information contact us at: [email protected]
