Hockey Teammates Will be Recognized for Life-Saving Response

A team of men who regularly play ice hockey together will be recognized by the Kirkwood City Council for their rapid, life-saving response to another player who collapsed on the ice on November 14. The Jaguars and the Renegades were in the middle of a Hockey North America League game at the Kirkwood Ice Rink, 111 S. Geyer Road, on November 14, 2011, when one of the Renegades' team members, their goal tender, collapsed at 10:14 p.m.

Ice rink manager Mike Krafft quickly called 911, but it was a fellow team member and two players on the opposing team whose decisive actions likely saved the man's life. One of the Jaguar team members performed CPR, while a Renegade player retrieved a public access AED machine (automatic external defibrillator) that was mounted at the ice rink. Another Jaguar team member, who was trained in the use of the AED, applied the device. Following audible instructions from the machine, he delivered shocks to restart the victim's heart. The Jaguar player continued CPR between shocks (two were administered) and until paramedics arrived.

A rescue ambulance, with Kirkwood firefighter/paramedics Tim House and Eric Coleman, assisted by an aerial ladder truck and team of three, arrived at the scene to find the victim still unconscious but breathing. They administered Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) treatment and were assisted by the Jaguar teammates in the removal of the goal tender's heavy protective padding and ice skates. He was then transported to local medical facility, Des Peres Hospital, where he regained consciousness and was treated and released several days later. He has fully recovered from the medical incident, thanks to the actions of many people.

The three hockey players will be recognized at the Kirkwood City Council meeting on Thursday, January 19, at 7:00 p.m. They are: Craig Merrifield (Renegade team, retrieved the AED machine), Brian Robinson (Jaguar team, performed CPR), and Don Guenther (Jaguar team, applied the AED and delivered the shocks).

A major contributor to the positive outcome in this cardiac arrest is that all aspects of the Chain of Survival were in place. The Chain of Survival is described by the American Heart Association as a recommended sequence of actions designed to rescue a person who has suffered cardiac arrest (i.e., the heart stops beating effectively and can no longer pump blood). The system includes four steps: 1) Early access to an emergency medical system; 2) Early CPR. 3) Early defibrillation. 4) Early Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). Any break in this chain can compromise survival.

The hockey team members and the Kirkwood firefighter/paramedics performed the following Chain of Survival:

1) The medical emergency was recognized quickly and the rink manager called 911 to access the Fire Department paramedics (the emergency medical system).
2) Bystander teammates imitated CPR on the victim.
3) Bystander teammates retrieved the public access AED and delivered defibrillation shocks to the patient's heart to correct the ineffective heart rhythm.
4) The Kirkwood Fire Department paramedics arrived on scene in less than five minutes and began advanced cardiac life support care. The patient was then rapidly transported to an appropriate medical facility for definitive treatment for his underlying cardiac illness.

The City of Kirkwood provides a public access defibrillator in this community building for incidents such as this, and the team members had obtained CPR and AED training to render aid to someone in need. In most cases, including this one, the person in need of CPR/AED intervention is a family member, friend, co-worker, or teammate.

The Kirkwood Fire Department provides CPR and AED training to the Kirkwood community at no charge. This includes City employees, Scout groups and students, local businesses, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) members, school and religious groups, civic groups, and interested citizens. This ensures that CPR and defibrillation therapy is readily available in the event of a cardiac emergency.