The late Chase McEachern wanted nothing more than to see defibrillators mandatory in arenas and schools after having experienced serious issues with atrial flutters. Chase would later pass tragically due to cardiac arrest. Although, if he were here today, the youngster would be proud to know that he and a prominent Standardbred trainer have helped save a life.

According to an article on southwesternontario.ca, the life of hockey coach Steve Pitt was saved on April 26 when the 54-year-old was at the Walkerton arena. The report explains that Pitt had played hockey in the morning and was coaching practice in the afternoon.

Pitt, whose family has owned Standardbred racehorses, ended up collapsing on the ice. The other coaches on the team – Greg Wand and John Louther – tended to him. Louther performed CPR while arena staff member Brad Thomson ran to the lobby to get the automated external defibrillator. The article states that, based solely off his training with the AED, Thomson administered five shocks to Pitt over a 10-minute period while paramedics were en route. Thomson has been quoted as saying that the period of time was “the longest 10 minutes of my life.” Pitt would regain consciousness in the Owen Sound Hospital two days later. He has since had valve replacement surgery.

Pitt was quick to thank Wand, Louther and Thomson for saving his life, but also thanked one of the groomsmen from his wedding, Standardbred trainer Gregg McNair. Although McNair was not at the hockey arena that fateful April afternoon, he was the one that donated the first AED to the Walkerton arena in 2009. McNair has said that he donated the defibrillator because of Chase's story. Chase’s father, John, who is formerly of the Ontario Racing Commission, is currently an investigator for the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

“Whenever we’ve held the Gregg McNair Charity Baseball Tournament we have picked a charity to donate funds to,” McNair told Trot Insider. “Walkerton is my hometown, and we were able to get the defibrillator put into the Walkerton arena.”

McNair told Trot Insider that he has spoken to Pitt since his ordeal and that the situation exemplifies a true ‘small-world’ scenario – in this case a friend helping save a friend’s life without even knowing it.

For more on Chase McEachern, click here.

To donate to the Heart&Stroke Chase McEachern Tribute Fund, click here.

(With files from southwesternontario.ca)