Seattle Thunderbirds, a major junior hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL), jumped into action on Saturday as the team’s defenseman Joe Gramer crashed headfirst into the boards and was unconscious for more than two minutes. Quick thinking by athletic trainers and the team saved his life.
According to The Athletic, the Thunderbirds’ athletic trainer Tom Orr got on the ice and approached Gramer within 13 seconds of the hit, clearing away nearby players. Orr then used the WHL’s signal for emergency help, a closed fist raised in the air.
Orr said he recognized “agonal breathing patterns” in Gramer, an “unconscious reflex and near-death condition where a person gasps and moans.”
Orr began CPR, assisted by the opposing team’s athletic trainer, and when paramedics arrived minutes later, they were able to find Gramer’s pulse. Gramer was removed from the ice and taken to the hospital, and he has since been released.
“Credit to Tom and Rich and (the) on-site staff that was ready to react immediately. That’s Tom doing his thing,” Thunderbirds’ head coach Matt O’Dette said. “Tom’s a heck of a trainer, and he was quick to react twice to perform CPR. We’re lucky to have him. He’s running out there, he’s pushing guys out of the way to get to our player — it gives us peace of mind knowing that he’s at the ready as quickly as someone can be. Everyone reacted so quickly and calmly and was there to help Joe.”
Said Orr of his team of WHL athletic trainers, “We’re more than just massage therapists and taping ankles. We’re jacks of all trades who have wide skill sets.”
Those wide skill sets have been credited with saving Gramer’s life. He has been diagnosed with a concussion after all other major brain and spine concerns were eliminated, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
