A high school hockey player in Michigan is lucky there was an athletic trainer on hand when he went into cardiac arrest during a practice recently.
Conor Place, a 15-year-old sophomore at University of Detroit Jesuit High School went into cardiac arrest during practice at the Hazel Park Ice Arena. Luckily, athletic trainer Eric Schwab was there to help.
Schwab works for the Henry Ford Health System and is one of their certified athletic trainers contracted out to work at area schools, colleges, universities and professional sports teams. Schwab was recently assigned head athletic trainer for University of Detroit Jesuit.
Schwab performed two rounds of CPR before someone brought him the defibrillator, which eventually resuscitated Place.
"I worried about all of his teammates who witnessed that," Schwab told 7 Action News.
Schwab said it was a relief when Place’s pulse returned and he was responsive to verbal commands. Schwab normally attends the school’s hockey games but hadn’t yet attended a practice. He said he went that day to get to know the players better.
"I'm blessed I was able to be there to help Conor," he said.
Doctors are still investigating what caused Place’s cardiac arrest.
