New York athletic director saves life of referee suffering heart attack
Jennifer Keane, a Section 8 assistant coordinator and director of athletics at the Wantagh School District, rushed to the referee’s side during a high school basketball game between Floral Park and West Hempstead at Farmingdale State College.
The referee collapsed four minutes into the game from an apparent heart attack.
A recent article from ABC7-NY detailed the incident and the athletic director’s quick actions. Below is an excerpt from the ABC7-NY article.
“I remember kind of slowing down. And one coach from West Hempstead says, ‘Joe, are you okay?’ And I said, I can’t catch my breath right now,” said Joe Gaskin.
“The next thing I know, I’m looking up and I didn’t recognize this person. I’m saying wait I’m supposed to be refereing. And I looked over and then I saw Jen and I said to her, I said, Jen, I’m so glad to look at your face and I’m not seeing God,” said Gaskin.
Seconds after Gaskin fell to the ground at Farmingdale State College, three nurses, a doctor, and his friend, Jennifer Keane, had rushed to his side.
This is the second time Keane saved someone from having a heart attack.
Keane is the section eight assistant coordinator and director of athletics at the Wantagh School District.
“The AED was brought to me I just kept kind of like talking to him, Joe stay with us, come on Joe we got you, Joe,” Wantagh said.
The makeshift medical team administered the AED and chest compressions and Gaskin’s pulse returned.
Gaskin is now recovering at Mount Sinai and is hoping to be able to go home on Saturday.
His father, who was also a referee, was about the same age as Gaskin when he died of a heart attack.
Gaskin says he knows how lucky he was that day to be surrounded by people who were so quick to jump into action.
To read the full story about the New York athletic director from ABC7-NY, click here.
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