Hockey Player's Life Saved At Piney Orchard Ice Arena
ODENTON, MD — For the second time in three years, a hockey player's life has been saved by a bystander using the public access automatic external defibrillator at Piney Orchard Ice Arena. The most recent incident was Wednesday night when a player in the locker room went into cardiac arrest. Other players, including an off-duty paramedic, began CPR and utilized the device to deliver shocks to the man, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.
Authorities say the victim had a pulse and was breathing when paramedics arrived. The man was takenn to a local hospital for treatment and was released and "joking with friends" the next day, the fire department's blog said.
The AED at Piney Orchard Ice Arena was installed after a teenage hockey player noticing something missing at the arena. Harrison Hasenpusch played youth ice hockey for the Nelson Burton Ice Hockey Association's Nelson Hockey - Metro Maple Leafs. The team's home ice is the Piney Orchard Ice Arena.
Harrison was also a Boy Scout in Troop 769 in Odenton. He needed to plan and lead a community service project to earn his Eagle Scout rank, so he focused his Eagle Scout project on installing a defibrillator at the arena. Harrison arranged for an AED to be donated to Nelson Hockey from Rescue-One Training For Life in Gaithersburg.
The fire department says Hasenpusch also planned a CPR and AED training session in August 2015, and the AED was put in service at the ice arena the same day.
Harrison, who is now 20 years old, attends Anne Arundel Community College and works for East Coast Hockey and Skating Supplies located at the Piney Orchard Ice Arena.
Jeremy Gruber, owner of Rescue-One Training for Life, says this is the second time this public access AED has been used to bring someone out of cardiac arrest.
The first save was on June 15, 2016, when an adult male hockey player collapsed on the ice. Other players, including an off-duty police officer and a physician, performed CPR and used the AED to restore a normal hearth rhythm and breathing.
"This is an example of how learning CPR can save a life. Whether a teammate, a friend, co-worker, loved one, or a complete stranger, starting CPR quickly increases the chance of survival," says the fire department blog.
"According to the American Heart Association, CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival."
Also according to the American Hearth Association, using AEDs as soon as possible after sudden cardiac arrest, within three to four minutes, can lead to a 60 percent survival rate. CPR is of value because it supports the circulation and ventilation of the victim until an electric shock delivered by an AED can restore the fibrillating heart to normal.
The Anne Arundel County Fire Department offers free Friends and Family CPR classes monthly. This course is ideal for schools and students, new parents, grandparents, babysitters and others interested in learning how to save a life, officials said. While no certification is provided, participants learn the important steps of CPR and the proper use of an AED. The next class will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, April 20. More information can be found at www.aacounty.org/cpr.
Story Credit: https://patch.com/maryland/odenton/hockey-players-life-saved-piney-orchard-ice-arena
