TWO RIVERS, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A group of off duty first responders jumped in to help a basketball referee, suffering from a medical emergency.
It happened Tuesday night at Two Rivers High School during the boys’ basketball game .
“We’re just sitting there watching and a foul was called, and we noticed one of the refs collapsed to the ground,” said Zack Peterson.
Peterson is a paramedic with the Two Rivers Fire Department and spoke about the incident to WLUK. He said the referee was suffering a heart attack.
“You just don’t expect it to happen in front of you, especially when you do this every day you work”
Two Rivers Athletic Director Matt LaTour says there were only four minutes left in the game when the referee fell to the ground. He said the game was called and the gym was cleared.
“We had a lot of first responders in our gymnasium, and a lot that were here as spectators. We had two nurses, two off duty EMT’s and our athletic trainer”
Peterson said when he saw the incident unfold, his instincts took over and he ran from the stands.
“I didn’t second guess it at all, somebody needed help and I was right there”
With the help of others and an Automatic External Defibrillator or and AED, the group was able to revive the referee.
He added Peterson says the AED was key in saving the man.
“A lot of times these patients that go into cardiac arrest, they’re in a rhythm called v-fib or ventricular fibrillation where their heart needs to be shocked, and that might be the only thing that brings them back, and that was the case last night”
Peterson said had it not been for the quick thinking of others, there could have been a different outcome.
“It was a team effort that helped this gentleman”
The Two Rivers Fire Department is one of three training centers for the American Heart Association. It offers classes for the general public on CPR training and AED training.
