Long Island athletic director jumped into action to save referee who collapsed on basketball court
LONG ISLAND (WABC) -- It was a scary moment last week when a referee at a high school basketball game on Long Island suddenly collapsed on the court.
The game was paused and people panicked.
One of the school's athletic directors, who happens to be a long-time friend of the referee, jumped into action.
It was about four minutes into the Floral Park versus West Hempstead boy's basketball game when Joe Gaskin collapsed from an apparent heart attack.
"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.
She has known Gaskin for about two decades.
"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.
"The doctor said pulse. And all of a sudden they said, no pulse. And that's when Jen, who was operating the they said, you know, just shocked, shocked me once. And I was back and it's amazing. I am a lucky man. I had angels watching over me that day," Gaskin said.
Gaskin's doctor says he should be able to get right back into the season.
He will be back on the court for his 38th year as a referee.
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