NORTH BAY, ONTARIO--Hockey players in North Bay used a defibrillator to save the life of a teammate twice last month in separate incidents just two weeks apart.
The latest incident occurred Jan. 24 during a North Bay Labatt’s Mercantile Oldtimers Hockey League game at the West Ferris Arena.
Bill Copeman, 58, was on the bench when he suddenly collapsed and had to be revived by his teammates with CPR and an automated external defibrillator machine.
Copeman is now recovering at a Sudbury hospital thanks to the presence of a defibrillator at the arena and the fast actions of his teammates Todd Shortt, Cameron Merry and Brent Tremblay, who put the device to use.
Tremblay was watching the play from the bench with Copeman when he looked over and saw that his teammate had dropped to his knees.
“I started screaming, 'emergency,'” said Tremblay, who quickly rushed over to Copeman's aid.
About 25 other players also hurried over to the bench, where Tremblay and Shortt had lifted Copeman and were pulling off his equipment.
Meanwhile, Merry, aware Copeman had suffered a heart attack while playing hockey a year ago, was already returning with the defibrillator from the arena lobby.
“These machines are like godsends,” said Shortt, who followed the device's instructions to shock Copeman and to perform compressions.
Merry, who has had defibrillator training as recreation co-ordinator for East Ferris, coached Shortt and Tremblay, who took turns performing CPR until paramedics arrived.
Copeman, who can only remember slumping over, spoke to the three men who saved life Saturday during a telephone conversation from his hospital room, promising to soon rejoin the team even if it's from behind the bench.
He offered his gratitude as the three recounted how the emergency unfolded and praised the community organizations involved in the Lifeline project, responsible for putting defibrillators in arenas and other public places throughout the area.
There are 130 defibrillators installed at public places such as hockey arenas and community centers throughout the district thanks to the North Bay Professional Paramedics Association, the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board and other groups such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation. To date, the devices have been used six times to save a life.
SOURCE: SunMedia.ca