Video: Ref Suffers Heart Attack During Basketball Game, Player Rushes to Save His Life
Quick thinking that led to a lift-saving response is something that is often all in a day’s work for Myles Copeland. When he’s not enjoying playing basketball with teammates on the court, he’s working as a firefighter in Toledo, Ohio.
The semi-pro basketball player had just finished working his 24-hour shift as a firefighter so that he could make the game. In fact, his typical hours are 24 hours of working followed by 48 hours off.
So he was limited to attending practices or games that took place during his days off. But one game in particular about two months ago proved to be a strategic one in the life of referee John Sculli.
Copeland was enjoying participating with his team at a playoff game in Jamestown, New York. They got to the end of the first quarter and Sculli collapsed on the court.
Copeland rushed over to Sculli, checked for a pulse, couldn’t find one, was aware he wasn’t breathing and started CPR right away. He continued compressions for about 14 minutes until the paramedics arrived.
“It was kind of a shock. Cause I’ve never seen anyone fall out and just collapse like that,” Copeland told CNN, then added, “I always keep hope till the last second. It was honestly kind of divine … everything aligned perfectly. The fact that I was there, the fact that I was able to respond so quick. And I kind of just felt something take over my body.”
Sculli has truly experienced quite the miracle, and it definitely wasn’t his time to pass away. Apparently, healthcare providers helped him to understand this. He said that the chances of surviving a major heart attack like the one he had are only 1 percent.
“Without a doubt, and without him, I don’t survive this. No question,” Sculli said.
“Ever since then, people just, like, look at me. They just have a different feeling about me, like you’re a hero,” said Copeland.
“It’s been said to me so much, but still it’s hard to have that click in my mind because I feel like I was just doing another deed, another thing that I was supposed to do. I didn’t feel like I went out of my way to do anything special. It’s just what I was put here to do. God was able to work through me. I feel like other people see me differently as a hero, but I don’t see myself any different.”
Since his health scare, Sculli came through quadruple bypass surgery successfully, slowed down, and has just been spending more time with his fiancée.
As for Copeland, he said, “I start paramedic school in January to further advance my career and hopefully be able to do more interventions. So to save more lives.”
