A vigorous pickleball rally in Bel Air turned into a cardiac-arrest emergency June 14, but the player was awake again after two strangers delivered CPR and an AED shock in a race measured in seconds. The rescuers were not part of a medical response team standing by; they were fellow players on nearby courts. Their quick recognition and access to the venue's defibrillator made the difference for physician Rob Christenson.
The account surfaced Friday, more than six weeks after the emergency at the Pickle Factory in Bel Air. Christenson told WBAL NewsRadio that he felt dizzy after a shot, bent over to catch his breath and then collapsed during the game.
That kind of sudden collapse is the classic cardiac-arrest scenario, according to the American Heart Association, which says immediate CPR can double or triple a victim's chance of survival. The organization recommends calling 911, beginning chest compressions when an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally, and using an AED as soon as one is available.
Two Nearby Players Recognized The Emergency
Ed Koerber, a retired respiratory therapist watching from an adjacent court, reached Christenson first and found no pulse or normal breathing. Mary Simpler, a cardiovascular nurse at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, knew where the AED was kept; the device delivered its shock 19 seconds after it was removed, and Christenson regained consciousness as Koerber resumed CPR. Christenson later told WBAL NewsRadio, "It's that defibrillator that saved me."
The sequence was remarkably fast: Koerber began CPR, Simpler ran for the AED, and the machine analyzed Christenson before delivering the shock. Koerber said Christenson opened his eyes afterward and asked what he was doing, a sign that the player had regained awareness even before the full gravity of the emergency had sunk in.
The Pickle Factory's official website identifies the facility as a Bel Air pickleball venue. In this case, the AED was more than background safety equipment; it was close enough for Simpler to retrieve while Koerber kept compressions going.
Why Those First Seconds Mattered
The American Heart Association says roughly 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside hospitals each year in the United States, with survival remaining low. The Bel Air rescue is an unusually hopeful example of the response chain health officials emphasize: recognize the emergency, start CPR, get the AED in place and keep working until professional help arrives.
Christenson, Simpler and Koerber did not know one another before that game. They left the court connected by a 19-second intervention that turned a sudden collapse into a second chance.
