LYNN — During a high school track and field meet between Archbishop Williams and St. Mary’s at Manning Field Tuesday, an Archbishop Williams athlete finished the 200-meter race, collapsed on the track, and was unresponsive with no detectable pulse.
St. Mary’s athletic trainer Winnie Victor, contracted through Mass General Brigham, responded immediately and was assisted by Melissa Nolan, a parent of a St. Mary’s athlete and emergency room nurse, as well as George Lopez, a parent of an Archbishop Williams athlete and off-duty state trooper.
“He was unresponsive, not breathing, and [had] no pulse, which led me to determine he went into sudden cardiac arrest,” said Victor, who began working with St. Mary’s in January. “I went into CPR right away and directed bystanders to call EMS and grab the AED (automated external defibrillator). We repeated a few rounds of compressions and AED shocks. The athlete regained consciousness right before EMS arrived and took over treatment.”
The athlete was taken to Salem Hospital and med-flighted to Mass General Hospital, where he is currently undergoing tests and recovering, according to Archbishop Williams Athletic Director Sean McDonagh.
“He’s resting at Mass General, where they’re doing tests and trying to figure out what caused this. He’s stable and everything’s good,” McDonagh said. “Per the people at MGH, they told the kid’s mother that if it weren’t for those three people, he wouldn’t be alive today.”
Victor said she noticed something was wrong when the athlete didn’t attempt to get up.
“He was not responding to his name or any other cues. It became very clear, within seconds, that this was not a typical exhaustion or recovery situation, due to his lack of responsiveness and abnormal breathing pattern,” she said. “When I went to check for a pulse and couldn’t find one, I knew I needed to act immediately.”
St. Mary’s Athletic Director Jeff Newhall called Victor a “true hero” when needed most.
“Winnie has always brought skill, calmness, and heart to everything she does,” Newhall said. “She stepped up in a critical moment and helped save a young man’s life at the track meet. We’re truly grateful for people like her who make such a difference when it matters most. We couldn’t be prouder of Winnie to be our athletic trainer, whether it’s on a day where she was a true hero or any other day. It was a perfect response from start to finish.”
St. Mary’s coach Tristan Smith called the response a “team effort.”
“(Manning Field Facilities Manager) Rich Avery came down and opened the far-side gates so that Lynn Fire, Police, and EMS could get there,” Smith said. “The kids were very respectful and everyone remained calm.”
