Basketball Player Saves Referee Who Collapsed During Game

Copeland immediately started giving CPR and continued compressions for fourteen minutes until an ambulance arrives.

“I always keep hope till the last minute,” Copeland said. “It was honestly kind of divine … everything aligned perfectly. The fact that I was there, the fact that I was able to respond so quick. And I kind just felt something take over my body.”

It might have been his training kicking in, since Copeland’s used to answering the call of duty as a firefighter with the Toledo Fire Department.

At the last minute, he switched shifts to make it to the playoff game earlier this summer.

“Obviously, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here,” Sculli, said.

It was a lucky break for Sculli, who beat some incredible odds, because of the assist.

He said the odds of surviving a major heart attack as he did are 1%.

“Without a doubt, without him, I don’t survive this. No question,” he said.

Following a successful quadruple bypass surgery, Sculli is spending some time with his fiancée, slowing down and recovering, but says he’ll be back on the court reffing games again soon.

A few days ago, he headed back to the gymnasium where it all happened to meet Copeland again.

“We just gave a big hug with each other, so we didn’t even say much. We just had to hug it out,” Copeland said.