Pickleball players in Martin County, Fla., are asking the parks department for AEDs at local facilities after a player collapsed on a court last summer and died.
Sam Hopkins was 56 when he died last summer at an outdoor pickleball facility at Halpatiokee Park.
“When he went down, everybody did everything they could to save him," Melanie Hopkins, Sam's wife, told WPTV. "They started CPR, they called for the ambulance. In my mind they were heroes, but they probably don’t feel like that."
Candace Cooney, who was there that day, is now trying to ensure that AEDs are available at all pickleball courts in the county.
According to WPTV, more than 120 pickleball players raised enough money to purchase three AEDs and one player is responsible for bringing them to the park each day. The problem is that they're not available 24/7.
“Not for use only by pickleball players, they have national softball and soccer tournaments here," Cooney said. "There are people walking their dogs, jogging, biking... It could happen to anybody."
Now local government is hoping to act to ensure the AEDs are available for anyone who might find themselves in trouble at a local park.
“We want to work toward a solution that works toward everybody in our community," assistant county administrator George Stokus said. "Not just a specific demographic or a specific user of our parks."
Stokus said the county has to take into account vandalism and liability issues as it considers the issue.
”The last thing we want is there to be an AED in our parks and it not work at the right time," Stokus added.
