A Community's Quick Reaction Saves a Refs Life

Sometimes the heroes we talk about in sports are the athletes who make an incredible play, score the winning goal or come through when the pressure is at its highest. But this week at Smithtown High School East, the community was reminded of what a real hero looks like.

During a JV girls soccer game between Smithtown East and East Islip, a referee suddenly collapsed on the field. In a situation where every second mattered, a Smithtown parent, coach and athletic trainer immediately sprang into action, working together with members of the East Islip family to provide CPR and use an automated external defibrillator, or AED.

Smithtown High School East Principal said that an “extraordinary team effort” swung into action in a matter of seconds.

Jennifer Carney, a Smithtown East parent and a St. James Fire Department EMT, was among those who rushed to help. Carney recalled seeing the referee go down as people nearby gasped.

“I saw that his breathing was not adequate,” Carney said. “I flipped him over, checked for a pulse, felt no pulse, so I immediately started compressions.”

It was a moment when training took over, and Carney knew there was no time to hesitate.

Others quickly joined the effort, including members of the Smithtown East athletic community and the East Islip family. Together, they worked to provide the emergency care needed while an AED was brought into use.

Smithtown East JV soccer coach Amanda Valente expressed her gratitude that the school had AEDs available and that parents and others were right there and willing to help when they were needed most.

For Kelsey McCulley, there was no need to soften the seriousness of what happened.

“He was not with us pretty much, and that AED saved his life,” McCulley said.

That blunt assessment says everything about the urgency of the situation.

Sports fields are usually places where we celebrate competition, teamwork and athletic achievement. But on this day, the most important teamwork had nothing to do with the scoreboard.

It was about knowing what to do, acting without hesitation and working together when another person desperately needed help.

The incident is also a powerful reminder of the importance of CPR training and having AEDs readily available at athletic facilities. On a soccer field in Smithtown, those tools — and the people who knew how to use them — made all the difference when seconds truly mattered.