Revived NH Referee Thanks Life Savers
DURHAM, N.H. (CBS) -- Referee Craig Evans says there were only three minutes left to go in a high school basketball game when suddenly he collapsed on the court.
"I woke up on the floor with people around me giving me aid. My heart had stopped. No pulse, no breath," Evans said.
That's when an off duty EMT, two nurses and athletic trainer ran to help him.
"They immediately came forward, no hesitation and began giving me CPR. Compression of the chest and began to revitalize me. And if they hadn't stepped forward I wouldn't be alive today," Evans said.
WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports.
Cyndi Campbell, who is a registered nurse, performed CPR on Evans while the other grabbed the defibrillator.
"After we used the AED and shocked him, he had a heart beat. He still wasn't breathing real well so we did another round of compressions and then he grasped and took a breath," Campbell said.
The 62-year-old referee said he's never had any health complications before. His heart attack came out of nowhere.
Evans also says he hasn't refereed a game since his heart attack but plans to get back on the court again soon. But first he wants to thank the people responsible for bringing back to life.
On Wednesday night's game at Raymond High School Evans will give red roses, representing the heart, to the four people who helped revive his heart.
"It will mean a lot to me to give some thanks and recognition to the people who saved my life. It's really about them and not about me," Evans said.
