Bystanders save man’s life during Brentwood pickleball tournament

Bystanders save man’s life during Brentwood pickleball tournament
When crews arrived, an AED had already been used, and Whitsitt was alert but confused.

A life was saved during a pickleball tournament in Brentwood, thanks to the quick action of bystanders who were CPR-trained and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Jeff Whitsitt, an avid pickleball player, went into sudden cardiac arrest while playing. It was unexpected since he hadn’t experienced any previous heart problems.

As soon as Whitsitt collapsed, people at the tournament immediately checked for a pulse and, finding none, began CPR.

Paramedic Robyn Thorne, from Brentwood Fire and Rescue, arrived on the scene within two minutes. She said the response was crucial in saving his life.

When crews arrived, an AED had already been used, and Whitsitt was alert but confused.

“Nine out of ten patients who go into cardiac arrest and receive a shock within the first minute survive. It’s a huge gap if you can start CPR and apply an AED in those first couple of minutes,” said Thorne.

Whitsitt said he is grateful for everyone who jumped in to help.

“I did not have symptoms you think of when you think of a heart attack—no pain on the left side, the left arm, just nausea, a little discomfort in the central chest,” he said. “The people at the hospital said had I been almost anywhere else, I probably would not be here.”

The American Heart Association underscores the importance of immediate action in such emergencies, noting that the survival rate for someone going into cardiac arrest is only about 10% unless CPR is started right away.

Thorne said knowing CPR drastically improves the survival rate of someone experiencing a medical emergency.