PLAYER'S LIFE SAVED

Oct. 1, 2011

PHOENIX – The hands-down play of the tournament was turned in by Bill Bollier of DT Express of Georgia with his swift and professional response to the heart attack suffered by a played on another field.

I was working as field director at Thompson Peak Park where the 50 Major-Plus and AAA and the 55 Major-Plus teams were playing during the third and last session of the World Championships.

On Oct. 21 Doerflinger of Washington was playing El Paso Old School of Texas in the 50 AAA Division.

I was called to the dugout of the Doerflinger team, where team sponsor and

player Brad Doerflinger was experiencing a heart attack. I had a

defibrillator in hand and was prepared to use it, but Bollier, who is a trained EMT, rushed in and took control.

Doerflinger never lost consciousness and never lost a pulse, but was in

obvious distress. Bollier stayed with him while the rescue squad was called. Bollier kept Doerflinger sitting upright as long as possible, to facilitate his blood flow and refused to let him lapse into unconsciousness.

He continued to vigorously massage Doerflinger's chest and to shake him

periodically to help the blood flow by what were obvious blockages in

his arteries.

Bollier had the presence of mind to ask for aspirin that,

fortunately, one of the bystanders possessed. He crushed the aspirin in a cup of

water and had Doerflinger drink that right away in an attempt to thin his

blood to aid the blood flow.

Within minutes the rescue squad arrived and transported Doerflinger to a nearby hospital.

About an hour later, Doerflinger was being operated on and having stents put in his

arteries.

He was doing fine by the next day.