DENVER -- One serve on the Wallyball court and Daniel Bott was down and nearly out, for good.

"I wake up about 20 minutes later. And I'm actually in a position then where there are five paramedics wrapped around me. And I'm like, 'OK, that's not good,'" Daniel Bott said.

But it was good.

That's because a staffer at West View Recreation Center in Westminster had used a portable Automated External Defibrillator correctly to keep Bott alive until the paramedics got there that day on Feb. 3.

"Yep. It totally saved my life. And they figured I was dead somewhere like three to four minutes," Bott said.

The Westminster Fire Department said they're seing more and more cases similar to Bott's.

"Gentleman in his 40s who can go on to live another 30 to 40 years. Yeah, I think it's outstanding," Westminster Fire Capt. Randy Peterson said.

I witnessed a similar life or death situation myself at the Trails Recreation Center in Centennial in March.

Another man on the racquetball court went down. His breathing was deep, slow and becoming less frequent. His skin was turning purple.

Some of the other rec center members were ready to administer CPR when a lifeguard ran up with an AED and quickly saved his life.

The AED is small and weighs three to five pounds. Instructions are printed as cartoon drawings and the device issues verbal commands in at least three different languages; English, Spanish and German.

"I forsee a day when you see these things in all places of public assembly," Peterson said.

He's watched the prices drop to around $1,500 per unit and believes that could be as common as fire extinguishers in time.

Bott said he's dropped 32 pounds, eats less sodium, more fruit and knows he's got a second chance to appreciate what's around him.

"It's sad that it takes something like this to adjust your life," Bott said.