Hockey health scare

(Updated)

A frightening incident postponed an NHL game Monday night. Rich Peverley of the Dallas Stars collapsed on the bench — from what’s being called a ‘cardiac event’ — which meant paramedics had to use a defibrillator.

CHCH News went out to see how prevalent defibrillators are at our local arenas. Not only are the arenas well covered, but a man in Fort Erie who collapsed on the ice was saved by a defibrillator just this morning. And the person who saved him, was a hockey opponent.

It was a moment that stopped everything. 31-year old Rich Peverley of the Dallas Stars collapsed on the bench as result of atrial fibrillation. Players frantically tried to help. Fans and Peverley’s family were relieved to find out that a defibrillator helped to save him. One man who was watching on TV was Gary Hardwick of Niagara Falls. This morning during his own game in Fort Erie, a player on the opposing team collapsed.

Gary said. “When they hollered stop, the gentlemen didn’t get up.”

Players rushed to help the man, Gary yelled to call 911 and grabbed a public defibrillator. “He was completely out. He was out on the ice.”

Time was running out, Gary opened the device, and followed the instructions. “The machine tells you what to do, we had to shock the gentleman twice.”

Soon after, Fire Marshal Larry Coplen arrived just after the second shock and found that the patient’s pulse had stabalized. “It saved the guys life.”

Larry accompanied the man to the hospital where he had regained consciousness. “At the hospital, the hockey player was sitting up and joking around with the doctor and nurse.”

All because the defibrillator had been close by, and used quickly.

Timely treatment of a cardiac event is so crucial, that if a defibrillator is administered within the first two minutes, the likelyhood of survival jumps by between 10 and 20 times.

Last night’s event was not the first time this has happened in the NHL. In 2005, Jiri Fisher of the Detroit Red Wings collapsed and needed to be shocked. Since then, there has been a steady increase in the number of defibs available in public areas, specifically arenas, that are designed for easy use for anyone who might be wary.

Mike Sanderson is with Hamilton EMS. “The machine senses the electrical rhythm of the heart, and it will only shock a shockable rhythm, so you can’t hurt anybody.”

Gary Hartman was excited to find out that he had in fact saved the man’s life and he was hoping the man does come back to hockey soon. Gary had actually taken a course on learning how to use a defibrillator and was alarmed that he had to use it today but was happy at the outcome.