ST. GEORGE — A 72-year-old man collapsed at a pickleball court and stopped breathing the afternoon of Jan. 4. But thanks to the quick response from those at the park, he survived.
The man, whose identity was not revealed by officials due to medical privacy laws, was playing pickleball at the courts at Archie Gubler Park in Santa Clara. Local resident Paul Wagner said it was a group effort to save the Washington man who collapsed at the courts.
“He had a weak pulse, but then he stopped breathing,” Wagner said. “We couldn’t feel a pulse. We started CPR and Sharon, a nurse, started chest compressions, and I was opening his airway.”
Wagner thanked Dan Mills, who also assisted with chest compressions on the man. He said a lady called Ricky also helped.
Wagner praised the Santa Clara Ivins Public Safety department for their professionalism. But even with the ambulance getting there quickly, the group worked on the man a full 10 minutes.
Santa Clara Ivins Public Safety Captain 31A Jason Monahan said his department was dispatched for a man down in apparent cardiac arrest.
“There were several medical professionals on the court playing pickleball that morning that quickly recognized that the gentleman was in cardiac arrest and they started CPR within seconds of him going down,” Monahan said in an email to St. George News. “Thanks to the quick response from these individuals, Santa Clara Ivins Police Department and Santa Clara Ivins Fire Department, we were able to get a regular heartbeat back along with the gentleman breathing on his own prior to arriving at the hospital.”
In the future, Wagner said he would like to see an automated external defibrillator (AED) placed at Gubler Park. Wagner said he was grateful there were people at the park who knew CPR and could administer it while they waited for an ambulance.
According to the Red Cross website, cardiac arrest is among the leading causes of death in the United States. The only way to restore a regular heart rhythm during cardiac arrest is to use an AED. The site states the average response time for first responders, once 911 is called, is 8-12 minutes.
Plus, each minute defibrillation is delayed, the odds of survival are reduced by approximately 10%. In addition to having access to an AED, knowing how to use one is critical.
“The man survived due to their heroic actions,” Mark Wagner, son of Paul Wagner, said.
This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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