NH High School Basketball Player's Dad: 'They Saved My Son'
HOPKINTON, NH (CBS) - John Roberge knows he was close to losing his son.
"Friday night we weren't sure what to expect because he was non-responsive to any commands," said Roberge. "To think you're never going to see your son again, it's the worst feeling ever."
His son Chris, a sophomore at Lebanon High School in New Hampshire, had just sat on the bench during the second quarter of a basketball game at Hopkinton, N.H.
"He just got done playing, scored four points, was probably excited, sat down, and he passed out on a friend," said Roberge.
Coaches and parents didn't skip a beat. Chris was having a heart attack.
Dan Meserve, the athletic director at Hopkinton High, did CPR while a parent who happens to be a surgeon grabbed the emergency defibrillator in the hallway.
"We actually had to shock him twice," said Meserve.
It was a team effort that would save the 15-year-old's life.
"Somebody was doing rescue breaths, somebody was on the phone with 911, somebody was cutting his shirt off," said Meserve.
Chris is now doing well.
He'll have a defibrillator placed in his chest on Wednesday. He could be back to school next week.
He should be able to resume a normal teenage life, but no contact sports.
"They saved my son," said his father. "He died and they brought him back to life."