LEWISTON — A Casco man, Stuart “Toby” Pennels, was listed in critical condition Tuesday, according to a Central Maine Medical Center spokesman.

Pennels, 55, was seriously injured Sunday afternoon after he jumped from his motorcycle to avoid crashing into a truck on Route 4 in Sandy River Plantation but ended up hitting it with his body.

He was taken to CMMC by LifeFlight from the Avon Airport, Maine State Police Trooper David Powser said.

Rangeley lifeguard Bill Hayes was one of the first on the scene after the accident.   He came around a curve in the road and thought a deer was under the truck.  Pennels was wearing brown clothing, Hayes said Tuesday.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” he added.

He said he was asked if he could help and told those at the scene he was trained in CPR and first response. At that place in the road, there was no cellphone coverage. He sent people further up and down the road to call for help. Police arrived about 45 minutes later, he said.

When he pulled Pennels from under the vehicle, there were no signs of life, no pulse, Hayes said. 

As a lifeguard and a ski instructor at Sugarloaf, Hayes carries a ventilator mask with him. He started CPR and put the mask on Pennels.

After about seven minutes, Pennels breathed in a large volume of air. His chest and abdomen lifted and he gained a strong pulse, Hayes said.

Another man who said he was a medic in Germany helped Pennels continue CPR until Pennels was breathing well on his own, he said.

“He was really fighting for his life — really hard,” Hayes said.

The only time Hayes had performed CPR was on a plastic dummy in class. He’d never worked on a person, he said.

“It’s incredible how the body will respond,” he said. “If learned correctly, (CPR) works well.”

Hayes has since sought prayer groups online to pray for the man he helped fight his way back to life.

Pennels was nominated at the end of July to be the Republican candidate for Maine Senate District 26, according to a Windham Eagle News online story.

He is running against former Maine Secretary of State Bill Diamond. Pennels ran for a House seat in 2012 but lost the election.

A longtime resident of Windham, Pennels recently moved to Casco. He is a financial adviser and is the owner of Penn Investment Services, according to the article.

Pennels served on the Windham-Raymond School Board of Directors. He is also active in the Sebago Rotary Club.

He retired as a colonel from the United States Army after three overseas tours of duty. He is a member of the Windham Veterans Association, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, according to the  article.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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