Off-duty paramedic, doctor help save young athlete’s life

Kent Sheriff file

Kent County sheriff's deputies administered a shock from an automated external defibrillator to revive a teen tennis player after off-duty rescuers performed CPR. (MLive file photo)MLive

KENT COUNTY, MI – An off-duty paramedic and a doctor helped save the life of a teen tennis player who fell unconscious during a tournament.

The 16-year-old tennis player became unconscious Friday, Oct. 18, at South Christian High School in Byron Center.

An off-duty paramedic and a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology performed CPR and rescue breaths until Kent County sheriff’s deputies reached the scene minutes later with an automated external defibrillator, or AED.

Sheriff’s deputies continued providing CPR then deployed the AED. The teen began breathing normally after a single shock from the AED.

The teen was taken to a local hospital and is doing well, sheriff’s Sgt. Kailey Gilbert said.

“KCSO is grateful for the swift actions of the bystanders who called 9-1-1 and provided medical aid until first responders arrived,” Gilbert said in a statement.

South Christian High School was host to Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 finals.

Related: MHSAA Boys Division 1 Tennis Finals 2024 at Byron Center

John Agar

Stories by John Agar

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