Two off-duty nurses rescued a player who collapsed on an East Bay basketball court over the weekend.
It started as a Sunday Hoops friendly.
“There are only two teams playing on a basketball court,” said amateur videographer Norie Caldeterra.
But an All Out Sports League game in Creighton took a scary turn when a male player suddenly collapsed.
“When I saw him depressed, he wasn't doing well,” said Doreen Thrasher, an off-duty Kaiser nurse.
Thrasher was watching the match when the man collapsed. She immediately ran onto the court for her help.
“All of a sudden, he's not breathing, I can't feel his pulse,” Thrasher said. “We immediately jumped in and started CPR.”
As Thrasher began mouth-to-mouth, another off-duty nurse at John Muir began chest compressions.
So they turned to the gym's portable defibrillator, which may have ultimately saved the man's life.
“There's a button to press,” Thrasher said. “I pressed the button. He went into immediate shock and woke up immediately. His eyes were open and he was breathing.”
Caldestera captured it all on video.
“It was gratifying to see the community rally around this man,” he said. “I was rooting for him. We were all rooting for him.”
Caldestera was there to record the match, but instead captured the miracle.
“I wanted to bring awareness to these people and show them that there is still humanity in the world and that people still care,” he said. “They are heroes.”
The man gave a thumbs up as paramedics took him to the hospital. He is expected to recover.
“I felt elated and said, 'What a blessing. What a blessing.' I can't describe it,” Thrasher said. “I pray that he continues to recover and that nothing like that ever happens again.”