Volunteer firefighter helps revive man who collapsed during basketball game in South Brunswick
SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- It was a close call for a New Jersey man who collapsed during a basketball game last week.
The Princeton man is alive and well thanks to quick actions from fellow basketball players.
Forty-eight-year-old Javier was taking a break from the game at South Brunswick High School on Aug. 9 when he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.
Cheng-Yu Lee plays in the age-40-and-up basketball league, and he's also a volunteer firefighter in Kingston, so he knows CPR.
"It was very unnatural the way that he slumped over. So I raced over. I instructed one of the players to call 911 right away," Lee said.
Moments after the collapse, he told someone to grab the AED defibrillator in the hallway outside the gym.
Javier had a pulse at first, but moments later, it was gone.
"There was no more movement. He was no longer gasping for air," Lee said.
Lee and another player did chest compressions and used the defibrillator, keeping Javier alive.
The second shock was around the time South Brunswick Police Officer Sean Nally came in, just about two minutes after the collapse.
Right behind him were EMS workers, who took over.
All of their efforts brought Javier back to life.
"Calling 911 right off the bat, within 20 seconds, getting the police and EMS to respond quickly was a key factor. Having the AED on hand ... was also crucial," Lee said.
By the time Javier was on the stretcher, he was conscious, alert and grateful.
Javier released a statement thanking his fellow basketball players, police officers and EMS for their quick actions. Because of them, he gets to continue to be a husband to his wife and father to his daughter.
It's also a reminder that CPR training can and does save lives.
"Please don't just learn this yourself. Tell your family as well. Because you could be the one that's down," Lee said.
Teammates say they expect Javier to make a full recovery.
