Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- A group of pickleball players saved Kevin Newman's life after a heart attack.
- Retired EMT Kathryn Reinartz led CPR efforts, using an AED to stabilize Newman.
- The players were honored for their heroism and emphasize the importance of CPR training.
SANDY – A group of six avid pickleball players were in the spotlight Wednesday evening — not for their skills on the court – but for their heroic actions off of it.
During a tournament on Dec. 5, Kevin Newman collapsed from a heart attack. Though he didn't know them at the time, his fellow players immediately jumped into action, saving his life.
Sandy City Hall isn't where the group members typically gather and awards for heroism aren't usually on their agenda. But Wednesday night, they were honored for their quick thinking and teamwork that made all the difference.
"That morning, I didn't know any of them," Newman recalled. "I didn't realize 20 minutes later they were going to be saving my life."
When Newman suddenly dropped to his knees, the group sprang into action. Among them was Kathryn Reinartz, a retired EMT, who immediately recognized the signs of cardiac arrest.
"I knew that he was in cardiac arrest," Reinartz said.
Without hesitation, she directed someone to call 911 and another player to grab the automated external defibrillator. Then, she rallied the others.
"Kathryn just said, 'Hey, if you've got CPR training, line up behind me,'" said Mara Fineshriber, another player with advanced CPR training.
Five players rotated, administering chest compressions under the AED's direction. It was a grueling effort.
"When you watch CPR really being done, it's aggressive, it's traumatic, it's violent," Fineshriber said.
By the time paramedics arrived, the team had kept Newman alive. But as he was rushed away on a stretcher, Fineshriber feared the worst.
"My knowledge of that kind of heart attack is that you don't come back from that," she admitted.
This is something that was lifesaving. They saved my life. It was a miracle. They are angels.
–Kevin Newman
Two hours later, the players received a message from Newman's son — he had survived.
Now, gathered again under far better circumstances, the group expressed gratitude for CPR training and the presence of an AED.
"This is something that was lifesaving," Newman said. "They saved my life. It was a miracle. They are angels."
Newman plans to return to the pickleball court for the first time since that fateful day, with a renewed appreciation for the teammates he never expected.
Everyone involved hopes their experience encourages more people to get CPR training and to make sure AEDs are accessible at every sports facility.
