Bruins Fan Dies During a Hockey Game: Opponent Brings Him Back to Life

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Austin Sabourin
May 30, 2023 (3:23 PM)

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In a remarkable tale of survival, Peter Jakubowicz shares his harrowing experience in an article for Slate magazine. During a hockey game, he suffered a heart attack and, against all odds, was saved by a rival player. Recounting the surreal moments following his awakening in the ICU at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, Peter was informed of the incredible truth:
"You're in the ICU. You had a heart attack during your hockey game last night. A player on the other team saved your life."

«No. 12 does CPR. On screen, the motions look smooth, fluid. He pushes down and lets up on my chest over and over, rapidly, pivoting on his knees, skates lifting off the ice each time he compresses my rubber sternum.
A man in street clothes runs across the ice and helps with my resuscitation.»

To his astonishment, Peter was able to witness the incident as it was captured on video. Watching the playback, he observed how a player from the opposing team, sporting No. 12 in pink, skated towards him and checked his carotid pulse just 25 seconds after his collapse.

No. 12 swiftly initiated CPR, executing the motions with remarkable fluidity and precision. Each compression of Peter's rubber sternum was met with a lifting of No. 12's skates off the ice, a rapid and rhythmic sequence. A man in civilian attire soon arrived on the ice to assist in the resuscitation efforts.

Transported on a gurney towards the rink's exit, Peter's road to recovery was an arduous one. However, his indomitable spirit led him back to the hockey arena, where he had the chance to meet his heroes � No. 12, identified as Steve, a paramedic with three decades of experience at Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, and Derek, the second man in the scene, a former EMT.

Peter, a fervent Boston Bruins fan, found solace in the fact that he went down wearing No. 37, reminiscent of the legendary Patrice Bergeron, known as one of the toughest players in the sport. Despite the Bruins' surprising elimination from the postseason, Peter's heart remains intact, filled with gratitude for the gift of life.

As per - Hockeyfeed