Palm Beach County firefighter credited with saving teammate's life at an adult hockey game

STUART, Fla. - He was in the right place at the right time.

An off-duty Palm Beach County firefighter is being credited with saving a man's life.

It all happened in the middle of an adult hockey game at the Stuart YMCA a week ago Tuesday night.

"It was probably about eight minutes into the game when he(the player) fell down behind the bench and his son was back there saying, 'Help, I don't think my dad is breathing,' '" explained firefighter Ryan Bouse.

Bouse, a teammate,  happens to be a firefighter by day. So after the player in his 40s collapsed, Bouse ran to help.

"I checked him and three minutes later he rolled over, and that is when he went unresponsive," said Bouse.

From a tiny bench area, Bouse quickly took over as coach and, in a sense, directed other players to help out. One player grabbed an automated external defibrillator and another started cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Soon paramedics arrived and they say, had it not been for all of the teamwork and the AED, the man would have died.

"It doesn't matter who you are or where you are, we help everybody," explained Bouse.

This Tuesday night's game was their first time back on the rink since the incident, and the team took home a win.

The man, who does not want to be identified, is still recovering from a heart attack at Martin Memorial Hospital North and he is expected to OK.