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Pickleball Player's Heart Stops, Saved by Fellow Athlete
27 Oct
Summary
- A man's heart stopped during a pickleball game.
- A fellow player performed CPR, saving his life.
- The survivor returned to the court after recovery.
A routine pickleball game at The Club at Northfield in Waterloo took a critical turn when Ken Sloan's heart stopped.
Fellow player Tom Granton, drawing on his extensive police training, recognized the emergency and immediately began CPR. Granton, who had never before used his CPR skills in an actual emergency, was credited with saving Sloan's life.
Paramedics arrived within eight minutes and used a defibrillator multiple times to revive Sloan. He later faced a recovery period that included rehabilitation for a stroke he suffered approximately five weeks after the heart attack.
Now, Sloan is back on the pickleball court, playing with friends who are like family. The incident has spurred a renewed advocacy for CPR training among the club members and the owner, who plans to have all staff trained and has ensured two defibrillators are available on site.