By EMMA SUN
Moons aligned to save cardiac arrest coach…
A MOUNT Evelyn basketball coach whose life was saved by quick thinking bystanders watching his daughter’s basketball game has thanked them for their heroism.
Erik Pedersen, 41, was coaching the under-18 Brite Stars in a game against the Wandin Warriors at the Kilsyth Basketball Stadium on 15 May when he suffered a cardiac arrest.
Two spectators, Paul Smith, a police officer at Mount Evelyn Police Station, and Auriol Hannaford, a midwife, raced to Mr Pederson and immediately started CPR.
Natalie Thompson, who works at the stadium and heard Mr Pedersen had collapsed, called triple zero and found off-duty paramedic Sharon Haslam, who was there watching her daughter play.
“By the time we got down there we realised it was probably worse than what we thought was happening and Paul and Auriol were already doing CPR,” Ms Thompson said.
“From then on I, basically, did more of the outside things, I stopped the game because we had a lot of young kids and that was quite distressing for a lot of them.”
Ms Haslam said after paramedics arrived, Mr Pedersen was shocked three times before being taken to Box Hill Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
He has since made a full recovery.
Ms Haslam has since nominated Ms Thompson, Mr Smith and Ms Hannaford for Certificates of Commendation, which were presented to them last Wednesday.
“On the night, it was an amazing scenario, watching people already initiated CPR without having any medical personnel saying this is what we’ve got to do and how to do it,” Ms Haslam said.
“Without the actions of these three, the outcome for Erik would’ve been very different.”
Mr Pedersen, who was coaching his 16-year-old daughter Shenae’s game while his wife and daughters Carey, 14 and Georgie, 10, watched on, said he had no recollection of what happened up to five hours before his cardiac arrest.
He said it came as a big shock because he never expected to be affected at such a young age.
“After I got out of hospital I came here in the quiet at 10am just to walk past thinking if it could jog my memory but nothing,” he said.
“I think it’s been tougher on the family than myself because I can’t remember any of it but the girls are coping slowly, it’s just one of those life changing things that happens in people’s lives.
“It seems to be the lesson that it’s not just an old person who’s a smoker drinker with high cholesterol because I don’t think I tick any of those boxes.”
But he said he was grateful to the people who saved his life.
“It’s an amazing alignment of the moons, I suppose – it’s a great place to have a heart attack if you’re ever going to have one, I’d highly recommend that,” he joked.
“Playing in the right team with an off duty policemen, a nurse and a paramedic in the house, you couldn’t organise that.
“I’m very grateful to still be here and looking after my girls.”
Ms Haslam emphasised the importance of learning first aid.
“Early CPR is essential in survival because for every one minute someone is in cardiac arrest without intervention, their chances of survival drops by 10 per cent,” she said.
“Every minute counts and readily available defibrillators in public places save precious minutes.
“By performing CPR you are trying to prevent brain damage in the hope we will be successful in restarting the patient’s heart and this is a good case with a good outcome.”
