Installed Just Days Before, AED Saves Young Man's Life on Minnesota Pickleball Court
When Rory Bakke collapsed at the Miller Park pickleball courts in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, his girlfriend, Sunny Saengdara, didn't hesitate.
"He kind of looked at me from across the court, pointed to his head, sat down, and fell back," she recalled.
Saengdara is a nurse. After checking for a pulse, she began CPR and utilized the on-court automated external defibrillator, or AED, to restart Bakke's heart, which had been in cardiac arrest, according to CBS News Minnesota.
"Rory would not be alive if it wasn't for that," said Saengdara.
Amazingly, the AED had been installed less than two weeks before the incident.
"It actually brings tears to my eyes," said Paul Mendoza, whose company, Advanced First Aid, installed the machine after it was requested by Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation in the spring.
"Having an AED shock right away is a game-changer because that's the treatment, the only treatment that can save someone's life," he added.
Mendoza said Bakke is the fourth person this year alone saved on a pickleball court by one of his company's AEDs.
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'It Saved My Life'
A little while back, we asked our newsletter subscribers to submit their pickleball-themed tattoos. And one stood out immediately.
It was submitted by Fred Hull, and depicts an electrocardiogram with the words, "I'm alive with a little help from my friends" splayed down his entire forearm. There's also a date: March 11, 2025.
In March, Fred lost consciousness and collapsed while playing at a private facility in St. George, Utah. 911 was called immediately by a player on a nearby court.
He wasn't breathing when two fellow players, Norm Ritchie and Casey Zimmer, jumped into action.
Alex E. Weaver
They started CPR, and grabbed the on-court AED.
For Fred, the AED could have been the difference between life and death.
"The most important message should be to strive for AED availability at all pickleball facilities," Fred told me, "and encourage everyone to become familiar (if not trained) with CPR. It saved my life."
If you're wondering, Fred is doing fine. He's even returned to the pickleball court, and plays regularly with the people who helped save his life just a few months ago.
Feature image via CBS News Minnesota
