A Toledo basketball player turned in a valiant performance last weekend after saving the life of a referee.
John Sculli was officiating a playoff game between the Toledo Glass City and the Jamestown Jackals on June 11 when he suddenly began to wobble and collapsed to the floor. He laid motionless on the court for several seconds before Glass City’s Myles Copeland, on the court and playing, rushed to his aid.
Copeland, who works during the day as a firefighter, told ESPN when he first reached Sculli the referee was not breathing and didn’t have a pulse. With no time to waste, Copeland immediately began administering CPR until paramedics arrived.
Copeland immediately ran to Sculli and began to perform life-saving CPR.
TMZ
Copeland’s heroic act ultimately saved Sculli, who is scheduled to undergo heart surgery next week and return to the court next season.
“It was kind of instinctual. It surprised me how quick I was able to switch into that mode, especially being in a basketball game,” Copeland said. “But with being a firefighter, when you’re off the job, you’re really not off the job. You still got to keep an eye out for the community and what’s going on around you.”
Despite his heroics, Copeland recognizes more work needs to be done so that others are as fortunate as Sculli.
“More people need to learn CPR! Heart disease is the #1 leading cause of death. An event like this could happen anywhere, to anyone, at any time,” he tweeted. “Step up your game and get CPR certified. You could be a hero for someone too.”
Myles Copeland works as a firefighter when he’s not on the court for the Toledo Glass City.
@tbasketballleague
When Copeland isn’t busy saving lives, he’s leading his team to victory on the court. After driving to New York for his playoff game following a 24-hour shift as a firefighter, Copeland and Glass City defeated the Jackals 96-93.
Reference
Neschis, M. (2022, June 17). Toledo basketball player saved referee’s life with mid-game CPR. New York Post. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://nypost.com/2022/06/16/toledo-basketball-player-saved-referees-life-with-cpr/