Firefighter saves man’s life while playing in basketball game

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) – An off-duty firefighter jumped into action during the middle of a basketball game when one of the referees collapsed on the court.

“I assessed the situation, trying to see what I could do to fix the problem,” Myles Copeland told WTVG. “He didn’t have a pulse, he wasn’t breathing so I instantly started CPR, what I was trained to do.”

Copeland worked on the referee for over 10 minutes and saved his life. He was alert and talking by the time he was wheeled away on a stretcher.

“It was just kind of divine timing that I was there in the right place at the right time,” Copeland said.

Copeland is a forward with the Toledo Glass City basketball team and was in Upstate New York for a playoff game.

“He was calm, he’s everything that’s good about our players, he’s everything that’s good about society,” said David Magley, the president of the basketball league.

Copyright 2022 WTVG via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.