WESTMINSTER, Colo. -- A 42-year-old man playing a game called wally-ball at the West View Rec Center said he is grateful to be alive after the use of a portable defibrillator saved his life.

Daniel Bott was serving the ball in a racquet ball court when he suffered a heart attack and suddenly collapsed.

"I literally just fell flat on my face," Bott said. "I don't remember landing and hitting the floor. I ended up breaking my nose."

An automated external defibrillator, or AED, was used to keep him alive until paramedics could arrive.

Westminster installed the AEDs in all of its recreation centers about two years ago.

On Monday, just nine days after his heart attack, Bott returned to the rec center to thank the people who helped save his life.

"I was very emotional. It was good to see Dan because we didn't know if we would," said Laurie Rutledge, West View facility director.

Bott said he is also grateful for the use of the AED.

"I was dead. If it wasn't for that machine, it would have been a few moments instead of this," he said.

After Bott collapsed, a clerk called 911 and his friends began performing CPR. Rutledge grabbed the defibrillator, which revived Bott instantly.

"He was a little bit groggy -- still not all there, but we had a conscious patient to work with as opposed to if we didn't have an AED," said Joel Sherry of the Westminster Fire Department.

Bott said he takes comfort in knowing the rec center has the AED.

"He's coming back in about six weeks, I understand, to play wally-ball, so we'll probably be hanging the AED right outside the court," Rutledge said.

Simple voice commands guide a person through the process of using the AED. A diagram shows exactly where on the chest the pad needs to be placed.

Bott said he sees no reason why the devices shouldn't be posted in all rec centers, schools and shopping malls.

Paramedics said the AEDs can be dangerous if used inappropriately, but they said the AEDs have nearly become foolproof in recent years. The pads detect irregularities within the heart, and if it detects a regular heartbeat, it won't deliver a shock.