Quick Response Saves Yellowknife Squash Player in Cardiac Arrest
A Yellowknife man whose heart stopped while he was playing squash says he owes his life to the quick, coordinated response of bystanders trained in CPR and AED use. Their fast action kept him alive until paramedics arrived.
You can read the original CBC report here:
Rescuers restart man’s heart after collapse on Yellowknife squash court
A Sudden Collapse on the Court
On May 12, avid squash player Terry Gray, 48, was playing at the Yellowknife Racquet Club with his friend Brooke Harker when he suddenly collapsed.
“My heart just went into a bad rhythm and then it basically put me into cardiac arrest,” Gray said later from an Edmonton hospital where he continues to recover.
Harker immediately began CPR and shouted for help.
Staff Step In: “You’ve Got to Act Now”
Racquet Club employees Ozzie Vallejos, Jeff Hipfner, and Devin Madsen rushed to the scene after a junior member alerted them.
Madsen remembers the urgency of the moment:
“It’s like—you’ve got to act now or no one’s going to do anything else. If we don’t do anything, who knows what the end result will be.”
Someone quickly retrieved an automated external defibrillator (AED) from another room while Vallejos began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Staff applied the AED pads to Gray’s chest, and the device delivered a lifesaving shock.
“You could see the colour coming back to his face,” Madsen said. “It wasn’t so blue. His diaphragm was trying to move in and out.”
A Nurse Joins the Effort
Kristin Richardson, a nurse practitioner with Public Health who happened to be at the gym, rushed over when she heard what was happening. She instructed staff to call an ambulance and continued CPR until paramedics arrived.
Gray was taken to Stanton Territorial Hospital and placed in an induced coma. He was later transferred to Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital for further tests, all of which showed that his heart is otherwise healthy. He now has an internal defibrillator to protect him from future cardiac episodes.
“I Might Not Be Here Without Them”
Reflecting on the incident, Gray expressed deep gratitude:
“I’ve got a lot to say to all of them… Without those people around I might not be here.”
This powerful story underscores how crucial it is for everyday people—not just medical professionals—to know how to respond during a cardiac emergency.
Why First Aid, CPR, and AED Training Matters
Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. When it does, every second counts. Immediate CPR and early use of an AED can double—or even triple—someone’s chances of survival.
Learn More & Get Trained
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