Officials are crediting two off-duty paramedics and school staff with saving the life of a 16-year-old student-athlete who stopped breathing during a championship track meet at Huntley High School.
The Huntley Fire Protection District responded around 7:20 p.m. Monday to Huntley High School, 13719 Harmony Road in Huntley, for a person in cardiac arrest.
Huntley Fire Chief Dan Wagner said it was reported as a 16-year-old boy who was unconscious and not breathing on the school’s outdoor athletic track.
Responding paramedics were advised that CPR was in progress and that an automated external defibrillator (AED) had been applied to the patient.
Huntley High School Principal Dr. Marcus Belin said that the incident occurred during the frosh/soph boys FVC championship track meet.
Paramedics arrived within five minutes and located the boy lying near the finish line at the end of the outdoor track, Wagner said.
He was being cared for by off-duty paramedics and Huntley High School staff members, including the school athletic trainer.
The off-duty paramedics work for the South Elgin Fire Department and the Palatine Fire Department, Wagner said.
The coordinated efforts of everyone involved led to the teenager regaining consciousness and showing signs of improving vitals before being transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment.
Belin said the boy, a student-athlete from another school, experienced the serious medical emergency during the conclusion of the event.
The Huntley High School athletic training team responded immediately alongside staff members, coaches, emergency personnel and medically trained professionals who were present at the meet, Belin said.
The principal said he could not share additional details but wanted to pause and recognize the HHS athletic trainers.
“Last night, they did what they were trained to do, but more importantly, they showed what it means to stay calm, focused, and composed in a life-changing moment. Their immediate actions, professionalism, teamwork, and ability to respond under pressure helped save a young man’s life tonight,” Belin said.
He added that there are moments in education and athletics that remind you this work is “so much bigger than games, scores, or competition.”
“Last night was one of those moments. I could not be more proud of the way our athletic trainers, coaches, staff members, and emergency responders came together to support a student in need. They represented Huntley High School with compassion, courage, and care,” the principal said.
The Huntley Fire Protection District said it is working with Southeast Emergency Communications (SEECOM) and McHenry County ETSB on the countywide implementation of the PulsePoint AED program.
PulsePoint AED is a public safety tool designed to help emergency responders and community members quickly locate nearby publicly-accessible AEDs during cardiac emergencies.
The program creates a registry and map of AED locations throughout the community, helping improve access to lifesaving equipment when every second counts.
“This incident serves as a powerful reminder of how important early intervention can be during cardiac emergencies,” Wagner said.
“I’m proud to say we are helping drive efforts to make lifesaving equipment more readily available throughout our community. Programs like PulsePoint AED can help connect people to nearby AEDs faster during emergencies, and incidents like this demonstrate just how important rapid CPR, AED access, and people willing to step in and help can truly be,” Wagner said.
Belin said that situations such as what happened can impact students, adults and spectators differently and parents are asked to check in with their child.
“The Huntley Fire Protection District would like to recognize the actions of everyone involved, including bystanders, school personnel, off-duty medical professionals, 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicators, and responding emergency crews,” the fire district said.
The fire district said community members and businesses are encouraged to learn more about the program and register publicly-accessible AEDs by visiting www.pulsepoint.org.
The Huntley Fire Protection District also offers CPR and first aid classes to members of the community throughout the year.
“Learning CPR and becoming familiar with AED use can make a lifesaving difference before emergency crews arrive,” the fire district said, adding that additional information about upcoming classes can be found on their website.