Strangers use CPR and AED to save pickleball player's life
Two strangers used CPR and an AED to save a pickleball player's life after he collapsed in cardiac arrest at a Bel Air, Maryland, court. Physician Rob Christenson woke up within seconds of being shocked, later crediting the defibrillator and the bystanders who acted in just 19 seconds.
What began as a routine game at the Pickle Factory in Bel Air on June 14 turned into a life-or-death rescue when two strangers stepped in. The episode, reported by WBAL-TV, shows how fast CPR and a nearby AED can change an outcome. More odd-but-true stories live in our Bizarre News & Florida Man hub.
Key Takeaways
- Physician Rob Christenson collapsed mid-pickleball game after feeling dizzy and briefly bending over.
- Retired respiratory therapist Ed Koerber found him pulseless and not breathing, then started CPR.
- Cardiovascular nurse Mary Simpler retrieved the facility AED; the device shocked him about 19 seconds after she pulled it from the wall.
- Christenson regained consciousness quickly and later said the defibrillator saved him.
What happened on the pickleball court in Bel Air?
Christenson was deep into a vigorous pickleball match when he felt dizzy right after a shot. He bent over to catch his breath, then collapsed.
From an adjacent court, Koerber saw the fall, jumped the net, and rolled him over. He could not find a pulse and said Christenson was not breathing, so he began CPR at once.
Christenson later told WBAL-TV he had no idea he had been in cardiac arrest. When he came to, he was alert and credited the defibrillator for saving his life.
Who used CPR and an AED to save the pickleball player?
Koerber, a retired respiratory therapist, handled the chest compressions. Simpler, a cardiovascular nurse at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, was watching from another court and recognized what was unfolding.
She had already noted where the automated external defibrillator was kept. She threw her paddle, ran for the AED, and returned while Koerber was still performing CPR.
They applied the pads. The machine directed a shock. After another round of CPR, Christenson woke up. Koerber said his color improved, he opened his eyes, and he asked why Koerber was beating him up.
How quickly did the AED shock restore him?
Simpler said data from the AED box showed about 19 seconds from the moment she took the device off the wall to the shock. That narrow window mattered.
Weeks earlier, Christenson, Simpler, and Koerber were strangers. They now share a bond forged in those few harrowing moments. Simpler called it divine intervention. Koerber noted how ironic it was that medical professionals were courtside when the collapse happened. Christenson put it simply: he believes he is the luckiest guy anywhere.
The rescue underscores a practical lesson for pickleball clubs and public courts alike: know where the AED is, and do not wait to start CPR if someone collapses without a pulse.