Santa Barbara City Councilman Eric Friedman doesn’t remember anything about that day.

Or the days after.

He was paddling with the Santa Barbara Outrigger Canoe Club when he suffered a heart attack.

He was just offshore near the Santa Barbara Yacht Club at the time of the attack. Team members paddled him back to the beach, where two friends and a retired firefighter performed CPR until an ambulance crew arrived.

“I feel really blessed that they were able to take such quick action,” Friedman said.

He said has no recollection of anything, before or after, until a couple days later when he was in the Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital.

However, all of that seemed so far away on Tuesday when he made his return to the Santa Barbara City Council. Greeted by applause, smiles and a lot of hugs, Friedman not only made his in-person return but served as mayor for the day because Randy Rowse is in Washington, D.C., for a Santa Barbara County Association of Governments transportation lobbying trip.

Friedman discussed his ordeal with Noozhawk before the meeting and made some public comments to the audience. He said he learned through the incident that he has a congenital heart issue, a small artery, that was part of the reason for the attack.

The councilman said the heart attack opened up his eyes.

“For me, it’s a reminder of the importance of each and every day to spend time with my kids and family, and also to slow down,” Friedman said. “In our culture, myself included, we have a tendency to really push ourselves beyond our limits.”

Friedman said he was overwhelmed by all of the community support. He thanked his colleagues and city staff.

He also thanked the Santa Barbara Outrigger Canoe Club.

“We were all close before, but we are extremely a lot closer now,” Friedman said. “They were incredible that day.”

He also thanked the staff at Cottage Health and the Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital.

“We have outstanding professionals who are extremely caring and who know their stuff,” Friedman said. “They really pushed me to try to recover as quickly as possible, but also with care and compassion from the ICU to Cottage Rehabilitation.”

Friedman’s mother, Celeste Barber, a retired English instructor, spoke to her son during public comment.

“I just want you to know how happy I am to see Councilman Friedman back,” Barber said to a large ovation from the crowd.

She thanked the community for their support, including everyone at City Hall, but she had a special message for members of the Santa Barbara Outrigger Canoe Club.

“I think most especially I’d like to remember, a big, big thank you to the Santa Barbara Outrigger Canoe Club because they were Eric’s first, first responders,” she said.

Friedman said he wanted to return, but that it was also an obligation to get back to serve the public who elected him twice.

“Every time I am here, I feel blessed to be part of this great city,” Friedman said.

He read three resolutions to community organizations and led the one-hour meeting. He also works at Trader Joe’s and said he expects to return to that job in June.

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