Many people believe that we happen to be at the right place, at the right time, especially in times of need. Sometimes, we find ourselves the only person who can help in certain situations.
Myles Coleman happened to be at the right place at the right time, even when he wasn’t expected to be in that gym for a basketball game. Being there meant life and death for one of the game’s referees.
Fireman on the basketball court
In the semi-pro leagues, basketball players have full-time jobs. Playing the sport is only a side-hustle and a hobby at the same time. These players never expect to bring their day jobs inside the court.
Myles Coleman was one of them. He works for the Toledo Fire and Rescue department and plays for the Toledo Glass City. They were playing against Jamestown Jackals in Upstate New York when something happened to the referee that made him jump to the rescue.
The assist of his life
Watch the video below and look closely at the bottom of the screen. You can see how referee John Scully wobbled, stumbled, then fell. The other referee at the opposite end of the court blew the whistle to stop the game. There was silence in the room.
Myles immediately stood, ran towards the referee, and performed CPR for thirty minutes. He pumped nonstop until the emergency team arrived.
John’s partner, Donna Metz, was on the sideline. She is a nurse, and while she has medical knowledge, her shock and fear paralyzed her at that very moment. She looked over Myles as he tried to do chest compressions on John but eventually walked away because she couldn’t handle the moment.
A fireman’s instinct
Myles said he acted out of instinct. It was their mantra to run towards an emergency and not away from it. Because of this, he was able to save a man’s life, and the paramedics considered his survival a miracle. They said had Myles not stepped into the scene and performed CPR, John would not make it to the hospital.
People considered him a hero, including the league’s president, David Magley. Donna also expressed how she is now Myles’ number one fan for saving John. He shrugged the praises off and said he was just doing what he needed to do. We say he deserved to be called one!
John’s road to recovery
John survived the entire ordeal because of Myles. He went through triple bypass surgery and thankfully did with flying colors. His road to recovery started with that CPR.
He sent out a message for his young hero through Inside Edition saying, “my heart literally goes out to you for saving my life.”
A hero’s welcome
Myles helped the team win that game after saving John’s life and another win against the Kokomo Bobcats. But before the game, the league’s president gave him the Hero Award and recognized his life-saving efforts.
For Myles, it was something he felt great about his job and recalled that moment as “something he’ll never forget for the rest of his life.”
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